Recently Oppo showcased its first smartphone with a rollable display. The Oppo X 2021 features a rollable display that adjusts to various sizes. LG is also said to be working on a rollable smartphone called LG Slide. Meanwhile, Xiaomi has now joined the race and has patented rollable smartphone to its name.

The patent reveals a smartphone with a rollable flexible display and a secondary display at the back. The device can be used as a tablet since the display can be extended by 200%. It is designed such that displays will be activated depending on the side that is facing users. That said, you can also use both the screen at once.

The design sketches are elementary and only depict core functionality. Therefore, LetsGoDigital has partnered with Concept Creator and come up with 3D renders. It is worth noting that the designer has taken the liberty to add a few bits like a vertically-aligned camera inspired by current Xiaomi devices. Also present is Xiaomi branding that adds a touch of authenticity.

We are hoping that Xiaomi shows off the concept device. That said, rollable smartphones are still in the making, and it will take some time to enter mass production. We see a slew of devices that boast of new form factors like LG Wing, Surface Duo, and Samsung’s foldable display smartphones.

Our Take

Smartphones with foldable displays still suffer from durability issues. Moreover, flexible OLEDs are very expensive and difficult to manufacture. Oppo claims that Oppo X 2021 is tested for 100,000 cycles, and durability is not an issue. It would be interesting to see manufacturers like Oppo, Xiaomi, Samsung, and others come up with foldable/rollable smartphones with no limitations in durability.