The year 2021 opened with a sudden boom in technological advancements and digital and economic growth. With tech on the frontlines, many innovators took on the challenge of taking tech from ordinary to astronomical. That is why several renowned brands have continuously produced new and advanced gadgets and devices that wowed the virtual platform. The most famous creations are innovations from ordinary smartphones to extraordinary ones.

In 2020, foldable phones from Motorola and Samsung reached the surface. While the concept of foldable phones is not new, it still received a hot load of attention because this time, the actual touch-screen display can fold compared to the version from decades ago, where phones come with keypads. This time, phone manufacturers from Oppo surprised the digital market as they released this year’s first-ever rollable phones, beating Samsung. While Samsung already has it planned, Oppo released the first-ever model of phones that can expand the display and return to its original form.

OPPO’S Masterpiece – OPPO X 2021

If we visualize rollable phones, it would be impossible to have screens that expand and retract to their original size. Oppo, however, defied that thought and produced their take on a rollable phone. Oppo X 2021 stood out in the market because it is the first of its kind for 2021. Among its competitor brands, Oppo is the sole company to produce such a sophisticated device that even amazed tech reviewers across the globe. But, on a sad note, Oppo announced that they would not mass-produce the OPPO X 2021. Setting this aside, Oppo still made a noteworthy achievement that left the tech world astonished. Oppo X 2021 challenges other renowned brands to keep up with their fast-paced growth.

OPPO X 2021 – How does it roll?

The curious minds of the people were left confused as to how Oppo managed to roll a phone. Well, the answer is inside the phone itself. A flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display flexes on a rolling stick supported by a caterpillar system that allows the screen to expand and retract without damaging it. The phone is thicker than ordinary phones. However, that’s what you would expect given the feature that it presents.

When it expands, the display becomes relatively larger with a 0.7-inch difference, comparable to a tablet. To not put pressure on the OLED display, Oppo also placed two motors at the top and bottom. Aside from that, the rollable aspect of Oppo X 2021 does not sacrifice the rigidness of the smartphone’s structure. It is still sturdy and is not subject to damages when touched forcefully.

Working it out

So, how does the phone work? To expand the phone, you just need to tap the power button twice or slide your finger upward on the side panel. To retract it, you can tap the power button twice again or slide your finger downward this time. Since the resolution becomes bigger, the aspect ratio also adjusts to the size of the screen. When the screen expands, the display or the interface automatically adjusts as well. One good thing about this is that when watching videos or reading news, you have the choice of watching or reading on a bigger, much larger screen which provides a better experience. The Oppo X 2021 also served us with jaw-dropping features for a reasonable price. That includes a rolled steel that is durable and a caterpillar track that is the thinnest that it can offer. Aside from that, the rollable phone’s hardware is also reliable because of its toughness.

The Downsides

Everything is subject to improvement because it’s inevitable. For this instance, the Oppo X 2021 has visible creases on the part where the phone expands, which results in a less smooth touch experience. The bump is a real letdown since what we look for in smartphones are smooth surfaces. However, since this is the first rollable phone of Oppo, we can expect some minor issues. Another thing is that a visible line forms at that crease. Dust aggregates are stuck on that part since there is quite a gap that lets fine dust come through. The bulkiness and not-so-light build also add up to the downside of this device.

Can Rollable Phones Monopolize the Phone Industry?

This thought is questionable because right now, other smartphones are on the run in the digital market. Because Oppo X 2021 is not for mass production, smartphone users have no choice but to buy phones which are not rollable. The answer to that question is still for discovery since few brands plan on producing such devices, except for Samsung. But we can expect another tech that these brands can offer.

Monopolizing a specific market is a lot more effort than you could imagine. First, you need interest. Then comes the conceptualization that requires a lot of thinking and brainstorming to achieve the best tech they can create. Last, manufacturing is the most intricate part. With rollable phones, there are still lots of gaps that manufacturers can fill in.

Final thoughts

Rollable phones are spectacular, but with the present output that Oppo X 2021 has presented, improvements can still be made. Oppo’s product is already great, but it can be much better—that is what improvement means. Once the issues here are fixed, this can top the charts and level it out with renowned brands and tighten the competition. Other than the issues presented above, it’s good to go.

The technological aspect that the world has now, serves as a platform for brilliant minds to produce mind-blowing gadgets and inventions that are out of this world, and Oppo X 2021 is proof of this ideal. This device has blown our minds and we know that there will be more soon. We better prepare ourselves for more devices that will leave us in awe. Either way, we will be the ones using it, being shocked or not being shocked makes no difference. That being all said, stay tuned for more new and outstanding technology that these brands offer.