Oppo X 2021 rollable phone concept detailed at MWC Shanghai

(Pocket-lint) – During Oppo’s Inno Day in November last year, the company unveiled some interesting concept technology, not least the Oppo X 2021 rollable phone concept.

Now, as part of Mobile World Congress Shanghai, it has shown a bit more of the device – including motion video of its Roll Motor powertrain.

#OPPOX2021 Rollable Concept phone is one of the technologies on display at #MWC21 in Shanghai. What innovations make the phone possible? The special Roll Motor powertrain allows the phone to unroll smoothly. #OPPOxMWC21

— OPPO (@oppo) February 24, 2021

As also detailed at Inno Day, rather than use a flexible panel to make a folding phone like everyone else, Oppo uses its bendable display to hide a portion of the screen inside the phone body. 

When needed, the Roll Motor powertrain mechanism allows the screen to unroll and stretch out into a small tablet-sized panel. This particular display goes from 6.7-inches to 7.4-inches, shifting from a long rectangle to a larger, more square design. 

The screen surface has been protected with a bespoke laminate to ensure it doesn’t scratch easily, and Oppo says the powertrain is built to last. 

While it’s certainly different from the current crop of flexible display phones, Oppo isn’t the first company to imagine an unrolling screen in an expanding phone. In fact, TCL showed off its own very similar concept earlier in 2020.

However, thanks to the MWV Shanghai clips, we can see much more on how Oppo’s version will look and feel.

OPPO’s innovative 2-in-1 Plate display support technology means the #OPPOX2021 concept phone is robust, open or closed. #OPPOxMWC21 #MWC21

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By Rob Kerr
·
24 February 2021

— OPPO (@oppo) February 24, 2021

In November, Oppo also unveiled AR Glass – its own smart glasses which use OLED displays to project information into your field of view. But, unlike the Oppo X 2021, we’re yet to hear any further updates on the details released back then.

Oppo said that its AR Glass concept features a dual fisheye camera system for recognising your gestures and is joined by a ToF sensor and regular camera. There’s nothing yet to add.

Writing by Cam Bunton and Rik Henderson.