It is time that the design of smartphones is reversed. Over the past decade, phones settled into a very similar look. If we were to draw a phone icon, it would be a vertical square with rounded corners and maybe a button on the front, compliant with the likes of Galaxy Phones, iPhones, Pixels and so on.
Even though our phones are rolling, they will still be boring rectangles. Circular, triangular or hexagonal ones may be meaningless or impossible.
But things are starting to change. Also, thanks to new technologies such as wrap screens or waterfall displays, bendable and flexible screens, we are starting to see the formation of various features. The Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola Razr, for example, fold in half to square giving them a wide aspect ratio screen. Those screens still sound great, but compromise on durability practical benefits of such screen sizes.
No matter the setup, both of these types of folders have one major problem before they can get much success: and that is the Software. Google is still working on the beloved Android, but lacks focus on solving the range of experimental ideas there. For example, TCL recently unveiled a third-party prototype with a 10-inch double-sided screen to turn into a 6.65-inch phone. The Chinese electronics company also showcases an expandable 6.75-inch screen that comes out as a document until its 7.8-inch size.
That has a great deal of accountability, and presents a great challenge. The app will need to work differently on the Galaxy Fold than the Z Flip, for example, as it has different features. When you close the Fold, the operating system you are using moves directly to the 4.6-inch external screen. On Z Flip, you wouldn’t be able to use this app in the same way.
Even though our phones are rolling, they will still be boring rectangles. Circular, triangular or hexagonal ones may be meaningless or impossible. But with the rise of folding screens, we can just see these type of display-trend continue to grow as our phones become smaller and more pocket-able.
