Kerry Wan/ZDNET
The amount of ambitious, forward-thinking gadgets I got here across while at MWC were a tech enthusiast’s dream. My first two days alone involved bendable smartphones and laser lapel pins. Add a phone with a rollable display to that list.
It’s called Phantom Ultimate from Chinese tech company Tecno. The phone is the definition of a concept, with a flexible 6.55-inch OLED display that folds horizontally to 7.11 inches on the press of a button. There can also be a fun surprise on the back of the device, which I’ll write about in a moment.
I spent about half-hour fidgeting with one of the working Tecno models on display, which made even my OnePlus Open feel dated.
This is principally as a result of the motorized nature of the rollable phone. As I discussed earlier, you don’t enlarge the display by physically pulling it out. Instead, you may press the button on the highest of the device or use a three-finger swipe gesture. The latter appeared like a long shot, but when it worked, it felt like magic.
Watching a phone screen expand by itself – with text and graphics steadily taking on more room – is like watching your individual [insert favorite satisfying video here]. I would really like Tecno to push the boundaries a bit in its concept, because going from a 6.55-inch to a 7.11-inch display isn’t a revelation. Switching from a smartphone to a mega tablet can be outrageous at best.
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
Regardless, the additional real estate was noticeable after I switched between messaging apps, the browser, and the video player. Do you’re employed with spreadsheets? Expand the display to see more data at a glance!
The Phantom Ultimate display is the centerpiece of Tecno’s concept, with a resolution of 2296 x 1596, dynamic LTPO (meaning the refresh rate will range from 1Hz to 120Hz depending on how the duty is animated) and full DCI-P3 support wide selection of colours. Would I like to recommend this device for skilled content creation and graphic design? Probably not, given the reflectivity of the display’s thin, flexible glass, but I was on a brightly lit conference floor, so the visual effects is likely to be more noticeable elsewhere.
The Phantom Ultimate has one other nice feature, namely the rear display. It jogs my memory of Samsung’s edge panels, but is suitable for situations while you place your phone face down and need to have information visible.
Kerry Wan/ZDNET
The only caveat with a roll-up design is how scratch-prone the flexible glass material will be, as Tecno devices demonstrated at their booth. Another concern is the sturdiness of the motorized display; specifically, how again and again the phone can open and close before the screw loosens and starts shaking. A Tecno representative told me that the Phantom Ultimate has been tested to resist 50,000 cycles, assuming the user folds and unfolds the display eight times a day.
The big query is: when will rollable concepts just like the Phantom Ultimate hit the market? Tecno says it’s still gauging user interest, especially in emerging markets like Southeast Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe, so there is no firm timeline. Motorola appears to still be committed to its rollable phone, which debuted at MWC last yr, and I’ve heard that a 2026 launch is the goal.
Disclosure: The cost of Kerry Wan’s trip to Barcelona for the Mobile World Congress was covered by Tecno, a common industry practice for long-distance travel. The rankings and opinions of ZDNET authors and editors are all the time independent of the businesses we cover.
Credit : www.zdnet.com
