TCL working on five concept foldable devices including one that folds into a smartwatch

2019 marks the evolution of the foldable smartphone from a prototype to a fully-functional, marketable device.

In the past few months, we’ve witnessed nearly as many different foldable smartphone concepts as there are phone manufacturers.

While Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi are leading the pack; another Chinese consumer electronics company is adopting a different approach after registering five patents in one swoop, four of which might already look similar to concepts seen in the past.

According to a report by CNET, TCL is working on at least two foldable tablets, two foldable smartphones and a foldable device that doubles as a watch by bending around your wrist like a bracelet.

It is difficult to understand whether this foldable concept device will function as a smart bracelet or smartwatch. However, this isn’t the first time we’re seeing a bendable device that snaps across the wrist; Lenovo released a similar bracelet-watch in 2016.

Details about all five devices are limited, and CNET’s report doesn't shed much light on the five devices. TCL is a renowned television manufacturer but has a comparatively low profile when it comes to smartphones.

If TCL is actually looking to make a mark in the smartphone industry and if all this does come to reality then it has made a calculated jump by starting with the latest smartphone trends.

There’s always a chance that none of the five devices sees the light of day, but TCL has already confirmed the release of a foldable device by 2020; although there’s no confirmation on the type of device that’ll be released.

Nevertheless, a recent Xiaomi acquisition for a stake in TCL, all but confirms that a foldable handset might be inevitable.