Recently, TCL CSOT officially introduced the world's first tri-fold screen smartphone, opening up a 7.85-inch screen.
In 2019, TCL showed off a (non-functional) prototype of a triple-fold smartphone . When fully unfolded, it would have a 10-inch display—about the size of a tablet. Now, five years later, TCL CSOT (TCL China Star Optoelectronics Technology) has unveiled the first triple-fold phone—which features a 7.85-inch display when fully unfolded.
TCL CSOT's 3-fold screen smartphone.
TCL CSOT's 3-fold screen smartphone.
The device was showcased at the SID (Society for Information Display) 2024 exhibition held in San Jose, California, USA. The phone uses a tri-fold display, which TCL calls "Free-type" - Free type to fold into "G" and "Z" shapes. When fully opened, the 7.85-inch screen has the same aspect ratio as a regular tablet.
One of the problems with older tri-fold phone prototypes was their thickness. According to My Drivers, TCL's tri-fold phone is just 427 microns thick. That's thanks to the phone's Sensor Under Panel (SUP) design, where 3D facial recognition is handled by sensors hidden under the foldable display.
The "super product" has a main screen size of 7.85 inches.
The "super product" has a main screen size of 7.85 inches.
This makes the smartphone secure enough to verify the user's identity for mobile payments, device unlocking, etc. Both the regular screen area and the screen area containing the SUP design have a pixel density of 420 PPI, allowing users to experience a uniform display without any change in screen quality.
The display also supports adaptive refresh rates powered by LTPO, which can vary from 1-120Hz depending on the content displayed on the screen. With the tri-fold display, the phone not only provides users with an enhanced gaming experience but also helps improve productivity and creativity. The display is also low power consumption and durable.
At the moment, the tech world is still unclear about TCL's intentions regarding the 3-fold screen phone. Over the years, many rumors have also said that companies such as Huawei and Samsung are working on developing such a phone. According to sources, Huawei will release a similar device this year with a "giant" 10-inch screen.
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In the latest post on Weibo, leaker account @Digital Chat Station revealed that the Redmi K80 Pro smartphone model will be equipped with an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor under the screen, similar to its "big brother" Xiaomi 15, according to Gizmochina.
Redmi K80 Pro will have ultrasonic fingerprint sensor like high-end flagship - 1
However, the standard version of the Redmi K80 still uses an optical fingerprint. In the post, @Digital Chat Station did not mention any specific name of the phone model in question. The account said that the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor is mainly found in high-end flagship models. For mid-range brands, only the higher-end versions with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipset will have an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor. The lower-end variant will only have an optical in-display fingerprint sensor with a shorter focusing range, resulting in a significantly different user experience.
Previous leaks have revealed that the entire Xiaomi 15 series, including the Xiaomi 15, 15 Pro, and 15 Ultra, will come with an ultrasonic under-display fingerprint sensor.
Redmi K80 Pro will have ultrasonic fingerprint sensor like high-end flagship - 2
According to the information above, Xiaomi's sub-brand Redmi will equip an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint sensor on the Redmi K80 Pro. On the other hand, the Redmi K80 will be equipped with an optical in-display fingerprint reader.
In terms of other specifications, the Redmi K80 and K80 Pro are expected to feature Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 4 chipsets. The OLED panels of both the phones support 1.5K and 2K resolutions respectively.
Redmi K80 Pro will have ultrasonic fingerprint sensor like high-end flagship - 3
Both phones are powered by 6,000mAh batteries. It is likely that the Redmi K80 and K80 Pro will be rebranded as Poco F7 and F7 Pro in the global market next year.
