Rollable smartphones have been showcased as concepts over the past few years, but no commercial device using a rollable display has been released yet. While rollable screens have already appeared in some laptop designs, the smartphone category has not seen a similar product reach the market.
A newly discovered patent from Vivo suggests a different approach to rollable smartphone displays.
A Different Rollable Design
Most rollable smartphone concepts shown so far expand the screen horizontally, allowing the display to extend from the side and become wider.
The patent filed by Vivo, however, proposes a different mechanism. In this design, the display rolls out vertically, allowing the device to become taller rather than wider.
Illustrations included in the patent application show a smartphone that extends downward as the screen is unrolled.
Potential Use Cases Remain Unclear
The vertically expanding design raises questions about how such a display would be used in everyday scenarios.
Modern smartphone applications are already optimized for tall displays, which makes the practical advantages of an even taller screen uncertain.
Only a Patent for Now
It is important to note that this design exists only as a patent application. It has not been introduced as a concept device or confirmed as a product under development.
Technology companies frequently file patents for ideas that never reach production, so it remains unclear whether Vivo will ever turn this vertically rollable smartphone design into a real device.
