Tecno's Rollable Phone Concept Points To A Future Where Even Foldables Are Obsolete

Barcelona is playing host to MWC — Mobile World Congress — once again in 2024, and a whole lot of new and upcoming tech from a variety of companies is on full display. Including, of course, Tecno; makers of the Phantom V Fold.

Along with its own brand of robotic dog and its Windows-powered augmented reality gaming headset — the Pocket Go — Tecno is also showcasing some new smartphone tech. Not the least of which is its formerly concept-only Phantom Ultimate "rollable" smartphone. Rollable as in the screen rolls, not the whole phone. It's not some kind of smartphone tube.

Being on display at the trade show acknowledges the possibility that the Phantom Ultimate could be ready to make the jump from idea to reality. Though just how well it (and any other rollable smartphones) can realize that reality with a mass-market release remains to be seen. If nothing else, hopefully the rollout (pun unavoidable) will go a bit more smoothly than the 2019 foldable debacle.

Rolling, as the word implies, is very different from folding on a mechanical level, but the overall effect is similar when it comes to smartphone screens. Essentially, not unlike current foldables, the Phantom Ultimate is able to adjust its screen size between 6.55-inches to up to 7.11-inches.

What sets this particular approach to screen resizing apart is the way the full screen wraps around the phone when it's retracted, then quickly (within approximately 1.3 seconds, according to Tecno) rolls out to its fully-extended state when prompted. It also allows for a slimmer smartphone design overall, because unlike a foldable it's not doubling up the thickness when you compact it — the screen just slides around the back. So you're left with a roughly 10mm (about 0.4-inches) thick device no matter what screen configuration you choose.

Said screen also boasts an AMOLED display with a 2296x1596 resolution, and up to a 120Hz refresh rate. In addition to its rollability, it also claims a crisp (and double-sided when it's compacted) view of whatever apps, games, photos, or videos you may be looking at.