Also at Barcelona, TCL was showing off their foldable display tech that is going into future products, not just phones:
https://www.cnet.com/news/tcl-dragon...s-at-mwc-2019/
Quote:
The hinge lets you do things like fold a display inward to close it like a book or curve it outward to wrap it around your wrist.
The design concepts use custom flexible AMOLED displays from TCL's sister company, China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT). Samsung, LG and CSOT are three of the biggest panel makers in the world, giving them all in-house expertise in flexible displays.
CNET reported earlier in February that TCL has been working on at least five devices with flexible displays, including two tablets, two phones and a flexible phone that could curve into a smartwatch, according to company renderings and patent image filings obtained by CNET. This is the first time TCL has shown any physical products to reporters.
One of TCL's designs is booked-shaped, with the two sides of the screen folding in on each other (similar to how Samsung's Galaxy Fold works) and held in place by magnets. It becomes a tablet when expanded. Other versions of that design could have the display on the outside.
Another design shown by TCL is skinny and long, with the DragonHinge all along the back so it can be worn as a watch.
Yet another model folds tightly almost like a flip phone, with part of the screen exposed for always-on notifications or other use when the main display is closed. The last device doesn't use a DragonHinge but is an example of TCL's early research in foldables.
TCL's push at MWC underscores the industry's growing interest in foldable devices, which is seen as the next major leap in phone design and a way to get us interested in phones again. People are holding onto their phones for longer than before, and it's getting harder to justify a pricey upgrade given the relatively minor tweaks made every year. The hope is that foldables can change that and introduce a new way of interacting with electronics.
Here in Barcelona, at the world's biggest mobile show, it's what everyone's buzzing about.
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More at the source including pretty pictures of the prototypes.
I could go for a 13-15in tablet that folds to hardcover size.