It is not the first time that Lenovo has come up with a foldable display or devices based on such displays. However, the latest concept device that the Chinese manufacturer has shown off is mighty interesting, an Android tablet that folds outwards to morph in what can easily be called a smartphone.
As depicted in a video shot during last week’s Lenovo Tech World where the device was previewed, the device can easily pass off as any other tablet running Android. That was until a company representative actually bent the tablet from the middle. This way, the 7.8-inch tablet can easily transform into a 5.5-inch smartphone.
What is interesting though is that the other half of the display remains exposed in its bent state. So apart from functioning as a smartphone, the display along the spine allows for functions that appear automatically. Of course, Lenovo has worked on the standard Android 7.0 Nougat that the tablet runs to allows for such dual use. The rear portion just blanks out while only displaying the Lenovo logo.
Meanwhile, the outward bending of the display also has its positives as the rear can act as a means to mirror the image that is being shot using the selfie cam. No meaningful real world usage that sure is but can be a fun thing nonetheless. Maybe Lenovo will have more worthwhile usage of the rear display when the device is readied for a commercial launch if at all that happens.
The rest of the specs again aren’t anything to be too excited of. Processing is done by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip while the display has a resolution of 1920 x 1440 pixels.
Apart from the choice of the processor, the other aspect that can be considered to be reminiscent of the day gone by is the looks of the device. Bezels along the edges can be an eye sore and while those might still be acceptable in tablet mode, that definitely won’t be the case when the device is bent and is intended to function as a smartphone.
Thickness too will be another issue as the device when bent will naturally be twice the thickness as when held in tablet mode. Then the display to exhibits quite a prominent bulge along the middle where it bends.
Sure this is just the early concept device and there isn’t even a surety if Lenovo will at all pursue the theme right up to a commercial unit. However, what can’t be denied right away is that the concept device shown off looked promising. Worth mentioning, Microsoft too is rumored to be working on just such a concept for its forthcoming Surface phone concept, incorporating a bendable design to allow it to function both as a tablet and a smartphone.
