Flexible screens will bring us back to the 2000s. And it's great!

There is a fairly popular opinion on the network that the design of smartphones, or rather, its variety, died back in 2007, simultaneously with the appearance of the first iPhone. All that variety of form factors (candy bars, sliders, clamshells, rotators, game consoles, qwerty backgrounds), design solutions and unusual devices have been replaced by typical candy bars-phablets with a large touch screen. To this day, displays only grew, the frames around them decreased, the physical buttons became smaller, but the general features remained approximately the same.

But this may soon change, and this is due to flexible screens, which should again bring us back to individual traits and their own design language from different manufacturers.

Colleagues from the portal The Verge made a selection of new form factors based on already announced gadgets, concepts shown at MWC, as well as patents published in the bowels of the Internet. Let's take a look and discuss them soon!

Smartphone brochure, or 'count, please'

The first form factor has already presented the only serial smartphone that is about to go on sale – Samsung Galaxy Fold. It can be compared to a brochure or that little thing that the waiter usually brings in the bill.

In my opinion, the solution is rather strange for a mass device, but quite good for a fashion device. Surely all its weirdness is due to the technical limitations that exist at the moment.

Folding tablet, or 'I left iPad in the car on a hot day'

In this form factor, the first officially announced smartphone with a flexible display is made – the Chinese Royole Flexpai. It has one flexible display that folds flat in the middle. As for me, this is the simplest and most obvious form, but I'm not exactly sure if this is a plus or a minus. We must try in life.

As noted by foreign colleagues, Salvador Dali, seeing such a gadget from the future, would be very proud or extremely embarrassed.

Matchbox, or 'Trapper Keeper'

This form factor was presented at MWC 2019 Huawei Mate X, and, judging by the reviews on the network, many found this design more interesting than that of the Samsung Galaxy Fold. But it is not yet clear when BOE will be able to put the production of such displays for Huawei on stream.

You probably don’t know (I didn’t know either) that Trapper Keeper is a brand of binder folders that was very popular in the USA, Canada and some Latin American countries in the 70-90s of the last century. A whole series of 'South Park' is even dedicated to him.

Bracelet, or 'Pip-Boy mini'

Something similar, apparently, was imagined by the creators of the first smart watches, and soon it may become a reality. In a similar form factor, the Nubia Alpha wearable device was shown at MWC – not a smartphone yet, but who will stop followers from adding telephone features to something like this?

Fallout players have probably figured out why the name Pip-Boy appears here. I doubt that a full-fledged smartphone on hand can be convenient, but to speak about it for sure, you need to try it on yourself. Hopefully, within the next five years, I will succeed.

Clamshell, or 'RAZR of a new era'

Moto (or what's left of it) wouldn't be Moto if it hadn't at least thought about how to revive the legendary RAZR with a new interpretation and flexible screen. And such an idea came to her mind, because the image is based on one of the company's patents. In addition, the development of such a device was confirmed by representatives of the company at MWC.

As for me, this is one of the most interesting concepts, but it is not certain. Nostalgia is what it is.

Fake smartphone

Yes, LG and her second screen for LG G8 ThinQ confused the MWC audience, to put it mildly. No comment.

Roll-smartphone, or 'I'll be inspired by the Declaration of Independence'

We have already seen the roll-up TV, why not now make a smartphone in such a form factor? LG is a good idea, but the last one is not.

By the way, this image is based on one of the patents of the Korean company, so it may well be on sale someday. But I hardly imagine such a smartphone for every day.

Phone Book, or 'Hello Nintendo!'

Remember a great portable console like the Game Boy? Chinese TCL remembers too, and this is her reading of the flexible smartphone idea.

There is only one minus here, and it is serious: there is no display on the outside, which means that it will always have to be turned around. Just a smartphone, which will have to be, like a wallet, always folded in half before putting it in your pocket.

Full screen bracelet, or 'oops, I think I pulled my back!'

Another bracelet concept, only no longer from Nubia, but from prototypes Lenovo and TCL. Unlike Alpha, this bracelet can turn into a very long smartphone, which makes using it as a smartphone more ergonomic (probably).

“It's a very long smartphone that doesn't fit in your pocket. But wait, you don't need pockets, 'say colleagues from The Verge.

Money clip

And another form factor based on TCL prototypes. Probably, designers or fashion designers will be happy to use this, but not high-tech lovers.

Is it just me, or is he really not flexible enough to carry in your pocket? But there will be something to fasten the cache …

Accordion phone

This image is based on another patent LG, but tops my personal top of the dumbest form factors you can think of. Hopefully no one would think of doing something like that. Harmonists, do not be offended!

And the idea, in fact, is to have two display diagonals in one device: small and large. If you think so, then maybe it has a right to exist?

Magic carpet

And this design option is unlikely to be possible in the near future, and it is again from patents LG. There is a minimum of practical sense in it, and it suits only to look at the new 'Aladdin' by Guy Ritchie.

No, well, isn't it funny to look at a flying carpet-flying on a smartphone made in the form-factor of an airplane carpet? Or not? Something I'm confused.

Conclusion

These interesting form factors may await us in the near or not so future. Personally, I'm very curious as to how things look at this Apple, and maybe soon we will see in the leaks her reading of flexible screen. Until then, check out this curious fan-made concept.

Share your thoughts in the comments – which one did you like the most, and which of these ideas do you think will be implemented in commercial devices in the next couple of years?