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

Accessories

UGREEN launches FineTrack Series with Apple Find My support

Track valuables with ease

Published

May 30, 2026

Dorothy Baylon

UGREEN is expanding its smart travel lineup with the launch of the new FineTrack Series, a collection of compact trackers designed to help users keep tabs on everyday essentials.

Leading the announcement are the FineTrack 2 and FineTrack Mini 2, both of which support Apple’s Find My network for easy location tracking through compatible Apple devices. The trackers are built for travelers and commuters who want an extra layer of security for items such as keys, bags, wallets, and passports.

The FineTrack 2 comes in a soccer-inspired design created to celebrate the upcoming 2026 World Cup, while the FineTrack Mini 2 adopts a slimmer tag-style form factor that fits more easily inside wallets and passport holders. Both devices feature glow-in-the-dark accents for improved visibility in low-light conditions.

UGREEN says the trackers offer global tracking capabilities through Apple’s Find My ecosystem, along with smart left-behind alerts that notify users before they accidentally leave important belongings behind. When an item is nearby, users can trigger an alarm reaching up to 110dB to help locate it faster.

The company also highlights long-term reliability, with battery life rated for up to seven years. The FineTrack 2 additionally carries an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance.

UGREEN has also announced Southeast Asia pricing for the new FineTrack Series.

Price and availability

In Singapore, the FineTrack 2 is priced at SGD 29.99, while the FineTrack Mini 2 costs SGD 25.99. Malaysian pricing comes in at RM 69 and RM 59, respectively.

For the Philippines, the FineTrack 2 retails for PHP 850, while the FineTrack Mini 2 is priced at PHP 799. In Vietnam, the trackers cost VND 369,000 and VND 339,000, respectively. Thailand pricing starts at THB 590 for both models.

Alongside the FineTrack Series, UGREEN also introduced its new Air Editions lineup. This includes the Nexode Air 65W Charger, Nexode Air 45W Charger Slim, and the MagFlow Air Magnetic Power Bank 10000mAh 15W, all designed around portability with compact and lightweight builds. The company has separately announced Southeast Asia pricing for these accessories.

The FineTrack Series is now rolling out across select Southeast Asian markets.

News

Apple might focus on AI for WWDC 2026

There will be integrations with Google.

Published

May 29, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Throughout the entire AI “era,” Apple kept its nose clean by not shoving Apple Intelligence to its users during every event. After the significant time of keeping clean, the brand might finally sink more chips into the AI space next month.

As history tells, the annual WWDC event is a time for the brand to showcase its developments for software. You won’t see a lot of iPhones, but you will see a lot of iOS. And with that, AI is par for the course.

According to The Information, the upcoming WWDC 2026 will showcase a lot of on-device AI. Interestingly, the report does not specifically name Apple Intelligence as the spotlight. Rather, Apple might focus on integrating its chips with AI and its partnership with Google’s Gemini.

Rather than a continuous push towards creating their own AI, the company might do more to integrate existing technologies to keep pace with the industry. Despite being announced almost two years ago, Apple Intelligence has not delivered much of what its contemporaries are providing for its users.

Ironically, the brand has carved a nice niche for itself in the space precisely by staying away from heavy doses of AI. Both Microsoft and Google, on the other hand, have crafted infamy by shoving unnecessary AI-based features towards their users, regardless of whether they want them or not. Hopefully, Apple keeps its reputation after WWDC 2026.

Gaming

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 has been officially announced

And it’s coming out on the Switch 2.

Published

May 29, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

Compared to the crazier news we’ve gotten so far, a new Call of Duty doesn’t seem like it should make a ripple, but it does. Activision has officially announced Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, and it’s coming out on the Nintendo Switch 2.

This year’s mainline entry has a couple of firsts for the ubiquitous franchise. For one, Modern Warfare 4 will not launch on the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One. It’s the first time that the series is dropping the last generation of consoles. Secondly, it’s launching for the Switch 2, marking the first time that the franchise is coming out on a Nintendo system since 2013. Finally, it won’t launch as a day-one release on the Game Pass.

Besides the reshuffling of launch outlets, Modern Warfare 4 will offer much of the same from the franchise: bombastic campaigns with global stakes and a thriving palette of multiplayer modes.

This time around, players will start the campaign as Private Park, a South Korean soldier thrust into a war as North Korea suddenly invades its southern neighbor. Players will also face assignments in Mumbai and New York. Captain Price is, of course, coming back but as an outlaw in pursuit of a powerful weapon.

For multiplayer, Activision promises more improvements yet again for movement and gunplay. Modern Warfare 4 will also introduce new modes such as Kill Block, which features maps that change after every round. DMZ is coming back, of course.

Activision promises more updates coming throughout the year. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 will launch for PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 on October 23, 2026.