Recently, letgodigital reported that a new design patent for a TCL smartphone. Interestingly, this smartphone uses what we can call a retractable display as well as a quad rear camera system. Presently, more phone makers are seeking for innovation on the display of smartphones. We have seen foldable smartphones, rollable displays, stretchable displays, and others. However, many of these designs are yet to hit the market – perhaps one for the future.
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According to the report, TCL Mobile Communications applied for the patent on December 5, 2019, in Europe. The smartphone can be pulled out in a horizontal direction. The patent was included in the WIPO Global Design Database on December 23, 2019. As you can see from the design sketches and renders, the TCL phone uses a left-right retractable design that fully expands like a tablet PC. There is no camera on the front of the phone, and there are four cameras on the rear.
Like we always say, this is only a patent. There is no assurance that this design will go into production. In fact, many patents never see the light of day.
TCL is a Chinese electronics company, which also includes BlackBerry and Alcatel. Earlier this year, the company presented for the first time under its own name a prototype of a foldable smartphone with a double fold line. However, you cannot buy this smartphone, in fact, the device was not even given a name, it is therefore unknown whether this folding phone will ever be marketed. What is certain is that TCL does not want to skip the era of foldable smartphones.
