TCL’s ‘expandable’ screen phone shows up in leaked images

The handset when folded, looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 with the curved screen falling deeper on to the sides.

TCL foldable phone leaked images (CNET)

TCL was among the first ones to bring a smartphone with foldable screens. The company, although failing to get as much recognition as Samsung or Motorola, seems to continue innovating on the display front. This time, the rumours indicate it to be working on a unique dual-display handset that has the second screen sliding out from underneath the first one, creating an image of an 'expandable' screen. As reported by CNET, TCL was supposed to show this new smartphone during the MWC 2020 conference at Barcelona, Spain, which recently got cancelled due to the Coronavirus fears.

As per the images shared by the news website, the handset when folded, looks a lot like the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 with the curved screen falling deeper on to the sides. At the front, you can also see a dual punch-hole cutout on the top right corner. However, the second image raises more questions as the 1/4th side of the screen is seen sliding out further, revealing the second screen. The entire setup then acts as a single display for media consumption and for working on other apps more productively. The area that slides out also includes the dual camera cutout.

TCL foldable phone (CNET)

TCL foldable phone (CNET)

The question here is that is it still possible to slide out a part of the screen, fitting a second screen underneath and making it look like a tablet without any creases or bezels? That's anyone's guess for now.

However, since the smartphone was supposed to be shown at MWC, it doesn't mean the device is close to launch. TCL has been showing prototypes of its handsets at MWC before as well. At last year's MWC, TCL showed a foldable phone prototype.

On the bright side, it is still good to see tech brands continuing to experiment with different form factors considering we have seen everything from phones with cut out screens to under-display camera and foldables.