TCL (Alcatel-BlackBerry) is also switching to foldable smartphones
The folding smartphone revolution is underway. After Royole, Samsung and Huawei, it is TCL Communication's turn to unveil its DragonHingeTM technology for the development of folding screens. While no products were announced, the company presented a complete range of mobile devices with foldable screens. We can expect some nice surprises in the coming months and years.
No, it is not only LG and Samsung that manufacture displays as well as smartphones. TCL is also present on the market and its announcement at the Mobile World Congress is a reminder of this: "We can demonstrate that TCL can be innovative and a leader in the market for future mobile devices," explained Peter Lee, General Manager of Global Sales and Marketing at TCL Communication.
The devices that were on display for the occasion are all equipped with flexible AMOLED screens, custom-designed by TCL's sister company CSOT, and developed using in-house technology. In concrete terms, it allows the creation of special mechanical boxes so that the devices can be folded and adapted to all possible uses.
The first devices should be available for sale in 2020
Although the demonstration is stunning at first glance, it was unfortunately not possible to test the locking system on our own. In this respect, TCL is much more cautious than its South Korean or Chinese competitors. "When we look at the potential of our flexible range of devices, we are very enthusiastic. However, we are not in a race to be the first, we believe it is necessary to take a thoughtful approach and be patient, not only to meet new challenges, but especially to work with our partners on the right software solutions, and ensure that we provide a true user experience."
Shane Lee, General Product Manager at TCL Communication explains: "When we look at the use of folding devices, we see three main challenges: the AMOLED flexibility of the device itself, the obtaining of a resistant mechanical housing, and of course, the assurance of a software that easily adapts to this new format."
With its technology, TCL wants to demonstrate its mastery of the mechanical box that must support these new form factors, and the man is confident about commercialization as early as 2020: "We now have the solution to build this hardware and develop a technology that allows a unique experience with the software, in line with the launch of our first folding device planned for next year."
What do you think of these concepts? What would you like to see from TCL's future folding displays?
