Video of LG Rollable smartphone rolling screen in action surfaces online

After the long wait, we can finally see LG’s first rollable display smartphone (LG Rollable) in action… Well, not personally by purchasing one but through a leak video of a prototype.

Following LG’s journey to release the Rollable to the public is a long story. The company filed a patent application for its rollable smartphone three years ago and then presented what it would look like at CES in January 2021. However, the plan seemed to be scrapped as the years went by. An LG spokesperson rejected the idea, but two months later, in April 2021, the company announced closing its mobile business unit. This gave everyone the idea that probably, the Rollable would never be seen by the public.

Despite that, LG claimed that it did manage to build the phone, and we saw it in the image shared by Korea’s Agency for Technology and Standards regulatory body. And although we were given a concrete image of the phone, we didn’t see it do its thing. There is a rumor, though, that the company sold some units to its Korean employees. This made us hopeful that a leak would emerge online one day, and here it is now! In a private video shared on YouTube (and later uploaded by Checkout Tech), we see how flawlessly the Rollable rolls.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QFAmEO53yEY

As seen in the video, the motorized screen of the Rollable rolls by tapping a specific icon on the screen (but it is unclear if there are other ways to unroll the display). As it gets extended, the phone reveals the thinner bezels at the top and bottom portion of the screen and additional app icons placed at the hidden part of the AMOLED display (implying you can create a concealed screen layout for some of your rarely used apps). Even more, the bottom shortcut panel that can only hold four icons expands to allow up to six icons. In short, the UI makes adjustments when the phone is closed or open.

The Rollable is rumored to have a base 1080 x 2428 (6.8 inches) screen that will turn to 1600 x 2428 when unrolled. The back of the Rollable has a shiny reflective surface. Three of its rear camera modules and flash are placed vertically at the top left of the phone’s back. Other than those things, no details of the specs were divulged, making its performance still a mystery to all of us.

Many tech enthusiasts have been waiting for its arrival for years now, so it really is a big disappointment that we wouldn’t be able to get hold of such a unit. And although there are already other manufacturers exploring the same concept screen, it is a shame we wouldn’t get it from LG.