The LG Rollable phone unveiled at CES is really real, coming out in 2021

This story is part of CES, where our editors will present the latest news and the hottest gadgets from CES 2021 entirely virtual.

LG’s provocation Rollable Smartphone in your CES 2021 the press conference is not just for exhibition. The Korean company will launch the phone later this year, according to people familiar with LG’s plans.

The brief glimpse of the phone was the second sample of the Rollable, which has a screen that extends upwards to create a larger screen, more like that of a tablet. Presumably, the bottom of the phone, when in landscape mode, has a mechanism that rolls and unfolds the screen, similar to how it is scrollable OLED TVs work – but on a smaller scale.

The LG Rollable only appeared in two videos that marked the press conference and executives on stage did not mention the device. This led to speculation that it was just a conceptual device, not ready for prime time. TCL later Monday showed two concepts for rollable phones, including a larger 17-inch tablet that unfolded at both ends, like a treasure map, but seems far from a real product.

It is not so for the LG Rollable. The phone would be the first device of its kind to hit the market, marking another step in the evolution of the phone’s design, going beyond even the folding phones that were launched in the past two years. After years of pushing the same metal case design, the phone industry has endeavored to experiment with different shapes and concepts to reawaken enthusiasm.

After years of conservative phones, LG has shown a renewed interest in playing around with different concepts. Last fall, the company launched the LG Wing, which featured two screens stacked together, with the top one capable of rotating to horizontal mode. CNET editor Lynn La said that after overcoming the awkward design, she found it useful for multitasking and video capture.

Once a major player among top smartphone manufacturers, LG’s reputation, especially with flagship phones, has taken a hit as larger companies like Samsung and Huawei have overtaken it. Smaller companies like OnePlus were able to generate more buzz, so LG needs something to boost the excitement with its cell phone line.

LG also permanently followed rival Samsung, which consolidated itself in the foldable category with its Z family of smartphones. Last year, it launched the Galaxy Z Flip and GalaxyZ Fold 2.

For the first time, LG may have an edge in the competition.