Last month’s release of the ZTE Axon M seems to have started a trend or should I say restarted, because we’ve been talking about flexible phones for a decade now. If you don’t believe me, just Google Nokia Morph and you’ll see what I mean. What was sci-fi back in 2008 is slowly becoming reality now, as we prepare for the foldable devices first and then the flexible ones. And more and more device makers are jumping on the bandwagon.
We’ve got Microsoft ready to resurrect the Courier project as a foldable machine. Then comes Samsung with their Galaxy X, which may or may not be a typical flexible phone. And recently Huawei’s CEO, Richard Yu confirmed that his company was also working on a device of this sort. Huawei’s dual screen smartphone is set for unveiling before the year end of 2018.
Oppo has applied to patents for a product from a similar vein, featuring foldable screens in the upper part of the smartphone. Samsung has applied for similar patents too in USA, some of them already popping up and showing a dual display UI. LG Display is developing foldable screens, while also working with Apple to come up with a more pragmatic device in the 2020s.
For now only ZTE and Lenovo have put their foldable vision into practice. Who’s next? CES 2018 will provide the answer.
