TCL Shows Off Futuristic 17-Inch Scrollable Tablet And 6.75-Inch Rollable Phone Concepts

During its CES 2021 virtual keynote, TCL introduced what it bills as "the world's first 17-inch printed OLED scrolling display." When in the closed position, the device takes on the form of a scroll; something that we typically associate with historical documents from centuries ago. However, the user can then pull the device apart, extending it out until the display measures 17 inches across.

From what we can tell from the video, this looks more like a concept render than an actual functioning prototype, but we could be wrong. The benefits of such a device are plentiful, as it takes up a relatively small amount of space when retracted, yet expands to give you expansive display real estate to interact with.

In the demo reel, TCL shows a hiker pulling a cylindrical device out of his backpack to present a 17-inch screen with videos and maps/navigation data, while in the next scene we see a video call being placed with the device. 

For something a little smaller, the company also showed off a new smartphone concept with a 6.7-inch AMOLED rollable display. In its standard form, the smartphone has a relatively small and squat form-factor. However, with the touch of a button, the display automatically extends upward revealing its full 6.7-inches of real estate.

This is a bit different from TCL’s first rollable screen concept, which had the display extend out from the side. That display grew from 6.75 inches to a maximum of 7.8 inches.

TCL hasn’t announced production plans for either its 17-inch scrolling display or its 6.7-inch rollable display, but we’ll keep you up-to-date on all the latest details as they become available.