Chinese tech-maker TCL has had a few interesting ideas in the folding smartphone department over the past few years, but its current idea is perhaps its most ambitious. Called Fold ‘n Roll, it’s a folding smartphone that can also roll outwards — giving it three screen modes instead of just two.

There are three different screen sizes for the TCL device — a 6.87in smartphone size, an 8.85in tablet and then an oversized 10in tablet thanks to that whole ‘rolling’ aspect of the prototype.

TLC from TCL

The design borrows something similar to LG’s now-defunct Rollable concept, combined with TCL’s so-called dragonhinge technology. Basically, it’ll fold in and out like a regular folding phone, but can also extend its screen by sliding out a little. But, as with the company’s other forays into folding tech, this is just a concept for now.

And there don’t seem to be many plans for bringing it to market. The company is “still exploring the technical specifications” of the device, meaning that it’ll be a while before we see it on shelves anywhere — if at all. But the Chinese brand tends to specialise in lower-cost devices so, in the event it ever makes one of these things, the folding device might wind up being more affordable than R50k — which is what Samsung’s headliner cost on launch.

Source: The Verge