[CES는 블로터로]’LG Rollable’ teaser released D-Day… The key to’various aspect ratio’

LG Electronics’ first rollable display smartphone’LG Rollable (tentative name)’ teaser video is expected to be unveiled at CES 2021, which opens at 10 pm (hereinafter Korean time) on the 11th. It is noteworthy whether LG Electronics, which has been struggling for a long time on mobile, will use LG Rollable as a new turning point or will be able to gain an edge in competition with foldable smartphones.

The innovation keyword in the smartphone industry this year is a form factor competition represented by foldables and rollables. Bar-type smartphones have long since lost their novelty. In addition to the uniform design, the competition for large screen and full screen has reached its limit, and most of the cameras are focused only on the spec competition, so the attention is lowering.

As a solution to this, manufacturers are starting to reverse the atmosphere using the next-generation form factor since last year. Samsung Electronics was the first to fire a flare.

Samsung Electronics, which unveiled its first foldable smartphone’Galaxy Fold’ in 2019, has also succeeded in releasing its sequels’Galaxy Z Flip’ and’Galaxy Z Fold 2′, surpassing China’s Huawei and becoming a global foldable market leader. According to a report by market research firm Counterpoint Research, Samsung Electronics accounted for 73% of the 2.8 million foldable smartphones shipped worldwide in 2020.

LG Electronics came out with a dual screen when the foldable competition intensified, but was aiming for the next number. It is a rollable smartphone that will reveal its outline on the 11th. LG Electronics, which submitted a patent for the roll-slide mobile terminal to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in August 2019, exposed a short video suggesting the preparation of a rollable phone at the site of the announcement of the strategic smartphone’LG Wing’ in the second half of September 2020. I have a bar. In addition, the industry is speculating that’LM-R910N’, recently registered in the computer network of three mobile communication companies, is the model name of LG Rollable.

While Samsung Electronics preoccupied the foldable market, LG Electronics chose to dominate the rollable market. LG Electronics’ rollable display technology was verified in the process of commercializing the world’s first rollable TV. The industry outlook is also bright. According to a 2020 report by DSCC, a market research firm, shipments of foldable and rollable phones are expected to increase by 80% annually, with a total of more than 70 million units sold in 2025.

The key is whether LG Electronics will show a clear competitive edge over foldable smartphones through LG Rollables. Fast release is also important, but LG Electronics can enjoy the preemptive effect for a long time only if the consumer offers convincing quality or price. The reason Samsung Electronics overwhelmed Huawei, which had a strong domestic market on its back, in the foldable market because both quality and price surpassed Huawei. Moreover, as there are observations that Samsung Electronics is already preparing a rollable phone, it is time for LG Electronics to need a product to imprint a strong impression in advance.

So far, there are not many known specifications for the LG Rollable. However, if it is the Android rollable phone emulator released in advance, the screen size is expected to be up to 7.4 inches when increased from the default 6.8 inches.

The LG Rollable, which was released on the rollable phone emulator, is the size of a small tablet, and the first point to watch is the usability of the screen. I am interested in whether a single terminal can provide a variety of aspect ratios beyond just a larger screen. In terms of flexibility compared to foldables, if you can flexibly choose a variety of aspect ratios depending on the extent of the screen increase, such as 20:9, which is the most popular at present, 16:9 optimized for video viewing, and 3:2 suitable for reading web pages or electronic documents It is an analysis that it can act as a strength.

It is also important to provide clear directions for use in the product disclosure process. The fact that it is difficult to attract market attention only with a simple change in form factor was confirmed in the LG Wing, which was unveiled last year. The LG Wing, which attracted attention by folding the second screen horizontally, also showed various linkage functions, but failed to hit the box because it did not receive a good evaluation in terms of practical use. As such, it is the homework that LG Electronics must solve this time to prove how much more convenient new form factors can make functions and services that are used frequently rather than flashy.

Operation method and durability issues are also indispensable. It should provide users with simple usability beyond implementing rollables. China’s OPPO, which unveiled the rollable phone before LG Electronics, used a motor method. When the screen is swept down, the display rolled up inside is unfolded by the motor.

However, users responded that the reaction speed of this method was somewhat slow. In general, what the public expects from a rollable phone is a method of fixing or reducing the screen by pulling it. It is also a point to be noted that LG Rollables supports simple operation more than Oppo for consumers who are accustomed to being simple and fast.

At the same time, it will be advantageous in the future smartphone form factor war only if it shows thinner thickness and better display durability than foldable phones. Wrinkles or subtle lines that occur on the fold (hinge) are pointed out as a disadvantage that appears in most existing foldable smartphones.

It is pointed out that the thickness of the foldable phone, which increases by overlapping the two displays, is also burdensome to carry. Therefore, in the case of rollable phones that are rolled up and unfolded without folding, how much the thickness and durability issues are improved compared to foldables seems to be an important comparison point.

The most interesting thing is the price. It is unlikely that the price will be disclosed at this event, but the industry currently estimates the shipment price of LG Rollable at around 2.6 million won. It is higher than Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Z Fold 2, which costs 2.4 million won. Of course, it is a natural principle that the initial price is set high for new products with high technology and low yield, but this is also a major factor deteriorating market competitiveness. DSCC, a market research firm, predicted that the price of foldable and rollable smartphones will drop by 6% every year. According to this calculation, the price of a rollable phone worth 2.6 million won could still be over 1.8 million won in 2025. The price is high even compared to the current mainstream premium bar type smartphone.

Meanwhile, the release date of LG Rollable is not known, but the industry expects it to be within March. Unless the schedule is unavoidably delayed, LG Electronics is expected to take the title of the first commercial rollable phone release. In addition, more specific details about the LG Rollable are expected to be revealed through this CES 2021.