News

TCL’s foldable concepts are unlike anything we’ve seen before

They can fold, flip, and roll!

Published

March 6, 2020

Michael Josh Villanueva

Are you a believer in the future of foldable smartphones, but not quite convinced about what’s currently available in the market today?

TCL, a brand best known for making high-end televisions for less, is looking to leverage its display expertise with 3 new experiments that not only hope to pave the way to a future that’s dominated by foldable, bendable, and rollable displays but also to create technology that’s not just novel, but also practical.

Pocketbook

We first saw TCL’s “pocketbook concept” (nicknames all my own) late last year but got our hands on a fully working model this January at CES 2020 in Las Vegas.

A cross between the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Microsoft’s upcoming Surface Pro Duo – this concept device borrows the same horizontal fold idea, albeit wider on both sides.

Its shape is reminiscent of a book, some have also compared it to a wallet or passport.

When opened up, the two folded screens turn into a 7.2-inch tablet with a 2K AMOLED display, but its nothing more than that, at least in its current state. You can’t fold it in such a way that would transform it into a smartphone.

There is no secondary display on the outside. Instead all you’ll find is a row of cameras and this lovely textured glass finish that makes it look like a multi-faceted precious gem.

This concept devices uses TCL’s new Butterfly Hinge that allows the the device to be folded shut without a visible gap in between.

Tri-fold

TCL’s tri-fold concept was born out of the desire for foldable displays to be used for even bigger screen experiences. So instead of just one fold, it folds into 3, transforming from a smartphone about the the size of a Nokia Communicator to that of a 10-inch tablet.

It’s the first foldable concept we’ve seen with two separate hinges. One folds inward, the other outward. One side uses TCL’s Butterfly Hinge, the other an older hinge design TCL first showed off a full year ago called the Dragon Hinge – which forms an accordion like tear drop shape when folded shut.

While it become one hefty smartphone when folded and doesn’t stay put as firmly as a regular tablet when unfolded, the idea of being able to fit a 10-inch tablet in your pocket is pretty amazing.

TCL’s General Manage of Global Marketing Stefan Streit says, “the idea is to go in a direction where people won’t have to bring multiple devices.”

Rollable display

Of all the design experiments, for me personally, the TCL’s rollable display is most exciting. And that’s possibly because I’m still waiting for that smartphone that folds into a tube of lipstick like Samsung teased 7years ago.

Unlike the other two devices, or any other device that’s leveraged bendable display technology up to this point this TCL concept does neither has a hinge, nor does it fold.

Instead, internal motors allow the display on what looks like a regular smartphone to expand to become a 7.8-inch tablet. Imagine physically stretching the phone apart to make it bigger and then squeezing it back together to shrink it.

Instead of a hinge mechanism these motors furl and unfurl the rollable display, tucking part of the display away and out of sight when not needed.

At our briefing we were only showed a mock up that you have to manually stretch yourself – but we were showed video of an actual working prototype that does this automatically with the push of a button.

Pricing and availability

TCL stresses none of these concepts are ready for primetime, and are instead investments in finding the best, most practical use cases of this technology. Streit calls it “a long term play” in TCL’s new smartphone business, which marks the launch of its new flagship lineup in the US this week.

If and when TCL launches its own foldable or rollable smartphone – we’re told to expect it to be priced competitively, matching TCL’s philosophy of offering great displays at more affordable accessible prices.

Related Topics:featured Foldables TCL TCL Foldable Phone

News

Nothing adds color to its wearables with the Headphone (a)

The Pink and Yellow colors look great!

Published

March 5, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Last year, the Nothing Headphone (1) added a sense of fashion to the drab headphone market. Today, Nothing is adding a splash of color to its stylish lineup of headphones through the newly launched Headphone (a).

As with the (a) series of phones, the Headphone (a) melds fashion with affordability and performance. For quality, the wearable will have intelligent noise cancellation and sharper voice pick-ups with a 3-microphone Environmental Noise Cancellation system. It will also deliver rich immersive sound through Static Spatial Audio.

It’s only 310g light for easy use throughout the day.

For convenience, the Headphone (a) will have tactile gestures, such as a Button, Roller, and Paddle, to easily control the device without need of a phone. Users can integrate features like Channel Hop and Camera Shutter mode straight into the controls.

The headphones are designed for up to five days of battery life. Plus, a five-minute charge time can already provide five hours of playback. Finally, for durability, it is rated for IP52 resistance.

The Headphone (a) is available for preorders now. Starting March 13, it will be available in White, Black, and Pink. It will sell for EUR 159. Meanwhile, a limited-edition Yellow pair will be available starting April 6.

News

Nothing launches the Phone (4a) series

Who needs a flagship in 2026?

Published

March 5, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Nothing is not launching the Phone (4) this year. Though the lack of a flagship is certainly disappointing, the brand is still launching the Phone (4a) series, and now that it’s official, there really is no reason to feel like we’re missing out.

Nothing Phone (4a)

The base Nothing Phone (4a) carries over the circular camera island design of the previous Phone (3a). However, this generation will feature the new Glyph Bar, a subtler and more functional take on the brand’s iconic lighting system. It has 63 mini-LEDs in seven square light zones. It provides 3500 nits of brightness, which is 40 percent brighter than the Phone (3a)’s Glyph Interface.

The 6.78-inch AMOLED screen delivers images at 1.5K resolution,120Hz refresh rate, and 440 pixels per inch.

Inside, the Phone (4a) is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4. This is paired with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. It can reportedly play Call of Duty: Mobile at up to 90fps.

For cameras, the model carries a Samsung GN9 50-megapixel main camera. It can take in more light and offer a wider field of view. Plus, the camera can zoom by up to 3.5 times using an optical zoom. There’s also 7x lossless zoom and 70x ultra zoom.

Using Qualcomm’s triple Image Signal Processor, the camera can shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second. It can also shoot Full HD videos at 120 frames per second.

Finally, the Phone (4a) has a large 5080mAh battery, capable of charging up to 60 percent in just 30 minutes.

Nothing Phone (4a) Pro

Meanwhile, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro takes the best parts of the Phone (3) and brings it to life in the (a) series.

For one, the bolder camera island revives the Glyph Matrix of the flagship series and packs in more shooters inside. The three-camera system consists of a Sony LYT-700C 50-megapixel main shooter, a Samsung J5 50-megapixel periscope lens, and a Sony IMX355 ultrawide camera.

The 6.83-inch LTPS AMOLED screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 7i. It can deliver images at 1.5K resolution, 144Hz refresh rate, and 5,000nits peak brightness.

Inside, the Pro model sports the Snapdragon 7 Gen 4. Plus, the RAM Booster can increase the up to 12GB of RAM to 20GB. It will also have 256GB of internal storage.

It still has the large 5080mAh battery of its regular sibling and all the power that promises.

Price, availability

The Nothing Phone (4a) will be available in black, white, blue, and pink. It starts at EUR 349 for the 8+128GB configuration, topping off at EUR 429 for the 12+256GB model.

The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro will be available in black, silver, and pink. It starts at EUR 479 for the 8+128GB model, with the 12+256GB version selling for EUR 549.

News

HMD is developing an AI assistant for the elderly

The company will test it in Europe first.

Published

March 5, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

In the past, the only way to escape the constant influx of technology is to purposely go for older or “dumber” phones. For example, if you wanted to prevent your elder loved ones from fussing over features they’d never use, you’d give them feature phones. Now, there’s no escape. HMD, one of the biggest names in the feature phone segment, is bringing AI to its devices.

For years, HMD, especially through Nokia, has provided low-tech phones for everyone’s grandma. From merely keeping the Nokia brand of phones alive, the company has now embraced its reputation as the feature phone king, building its own branded phones.

Now, announced during MWC 2026 (via Tom’s Guide), HMD will start infusing its phones with AI, video calling, and a digital wallet.

Of these, video calling is the easiest to digest. Rather than just being simple front-facing selfie shooters, HMD’s phones can also use the camera for video calls.

Secondly, the company is also packing in its own digital wallet into its phones. As with other wallets, HMD’s version can receive, store, and send funds to other users. It’s set to launch in India first.

Now, the AI assistant is the more controversial one among the three. The first rollout is India’s Sarvam AI, which will do the basic tasks you’d expect from an AI assistant. Naturally, this rolls out in India first.

However, HMD is also developing its own AI assistant alongside InTouch. The feature will supposedly provide companionship for elder users. The company will test the assistant in Europe first but aims to launch it globally.