Thanks to a recent patent from Vivo that has emerged just now, we have a brief preview of what could be the brand’s next technological leap: a vertically rollable smartphone.
Unlike the solutions seen so far, which tend to expand laterally to become small tablets, Vivo’s approach aims to grow the screen upward. The result? A larger viewing surface without increasing the device’s width, while keeping a slim and easy-to-handle ergonomic profile.
More screen, same width: Vivo’s vertical rollable ergonomics perfected (for now it’s a patent)
From an aesthetic standpoint, the device presents a slim silhouette and clean lines, with a front that is almost entirely occupied by the screen. The phone appears as a normal high-end smartphone, but once the extension mechanism is activated, the display grows in height, taking on a elongated shape.
The rear panel follows this minimalist philosophy, housing a horizontal bar for the triple camera at the top. Because of the need to house the flexible display and the complex rolling system, the phone’s side profile is slightly thicker than traditional models.
Moreover this technology allows eliminating one of the main aesthetic flaws of modern foldables: the crease line in the center of the screen. A display that moves along an internal curved path can thus achieve a perfectly flat surface, offering superior visual elegance.
Anyway, the main challenge remains the transition from concept to mass production: to have any hope, the mechanism must be durable and the final price competitive. For now we are only dealing with a patent and it’s not known whether this particular phone will ever see the light of day.
Nevertheless Vivo’s interest is palpable: this isn’t the first time the brand has ventured into a device like this. Already in 2023 details of a rollable model leaked, but in horizontal orientation.
