Motorola shows concept smartphone with vertically retractable screen
On the eve of MWC, Motorola shows a concept smartphone with a retractable screen. The device has a pOLED screen that curls around the back and can slide up and down motorized.
The concept device was developed by Motorola’s 312 Labs business unit. Officially it has no name, but on the back of the device the name is written ‘Rizr’ mention. When rolled up, it has a 5″ screen with a ratio of 15:9, which results in a compact box. Previous rollable concepts such as the OPPO X 2021 often had a landscape form factor, but with the Rizr the screen rises vertically. The plastic OLED screen is curled up around the bottom of the device, and motorized to slide up to a 6.5″ panel with 22:9 aspect ratio. Motorola does not mention the resolution of the screen, but in a hands-on the sharpness seems about the same as a smartphone with a Full HD panel. The screen has a fairly soft-feeling top layer, which also shows some dents on the concept devices shown.
Motorola calls the Rizr the world’s most versatile 5″ smartphone. After all, the roll-up screen allows for a number of interesting usage scenarios. You can retract and retract the screen manually by pressing the side button on the top right, but the screen can also adjust automatically on the content on the screen, which works on the concept device shown in two apps, YouTube and Gmail, where, for example, watching a video in landscape automatically rolls out the screen.
The front camera is hidden under the display
Because part of the screen is rolled up at the back of the device, that part can be used as a notification screen, similar to the small front screen on foldables such as the Motorola Razr or Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4. You can also use it as a viewfinder for the rear camera. The Moto Rizr also has a front camera, but it is well hidden. The rollable screen can not only slide upwards, but also a very small amount downwards, revealing the tiny camera under the display. For example, the screen of the Rizr does not need holes or cutouts.
Since it is a concept device, no further specifications of the Rizr are known. It is also not clear whether Motorola wants to release a similar device in the future, and for what price.