Motorola unveiled an innovative bendable smartphone concept at the recent Lenovo Tech World 2023 event. The prototype device features a flexible display that can transform into different modes, delivering a versatile user experience.

Adaptive 6.9-inch FHD+ pOLED Display

The highlight of the concept phone is its 6.9-inch FHD+ pOLED display. Motorola refers to it as an "adaptive display" because of its ability to bend and adapt to different shapes.

The screen utilizes flexible pOLED technology that allows it to bend backward up to 180 degrees without damage. This enables users to wrap the display around their wrist, similar to wearing a smartwatch or digital wristband.

pOLED stands for Plastic Organic Light Emitting Diode. It's a type of OLED display technology that uses a plastic substrate instead of a glass substrate.

Transforming Design for Multiple Usage Modes

When laid completely flat, the phone can be used as a regular smartphone with the expansive 6.9-inch display offering a full Android experience.

By bending the screen backward partially, the phone can be propped up on a table or desk in a tent-like stand mode. This allows for hands-free use when desired.

Wrapping the display into a curved position around the wrist activates a compact Android mode optimized for the smaller wristband screen size. This provides quick access to notifications, messages, and apps on the go.

Metallic Wristband Attachment

To secure the phone when worn as a wristband, Motorola designed a metallic attachment band. This wristband contains magnets that align with the backside of the phone to keep it firmly in place on the user's wrist.

So when the phone is wrapped around the wrist, the magnets click it into the wristband for a unified wrist-worn experience.

Part of Larger Exploration of Form Factors

Motorola's bendable concept is part of an industry-wide trend of smartphone brands experimenting with new form factors. While many competitors focus on flip and foldable designs, Motorola's choice of a wraparound bendable display stands out as unique.

This aligns with parent company Lenovo's reputation for launching products with unconventional and adaptable designs, like its foldable laptop concepts.

Additional Innovative Concepts

Beyond the bendable prototype, Motorola also showcased:

  • An AI wallpaper concept that generates stylized wallpapers based on photos of the user's outfit. This aims to offer personalized aesthetics tailored to individuals' fashion tastes.
  • MotoAI, a personal voice and text assistant focused on privacy. It processes requests on-device rather than the cloud. MotoAI operates on a large language model (LLM) and is designed for PCs and smartphones.It can answer questions, draft messages, schedule tasks, and adapt to user preferences over time. Emphasis on privacy: Data processing and tasks run locally rather than in the cloud.
  • An enhanced document scanning feature to improve quality and minimize wrinkles or shadows when digitizing paper materials using the smartphone camera. The goal is to ensure scanned documents or images appear crisp and clear.

Glimpse Into the Future

While not confirmed for production yet, Motorola has a track record of ultimately releasing ambitious concept devices. The bendable smartphone prototype provides an exciting vision of how phones could adapt to serve different use cases as flexible display tech improves. Combined with AI enhancements and scanning upgrades, it showcases Motorola's creative vision for the future of mobile technology.