Joe Maring / Digital Trends

I just used Motorola ’s newest close up phones , and it may be one of the most telling ( and puzzling ) I ’ve ever lay my bridge player on .

Last October , Motorola taunt its “ adaptive display concept ” gimmick , unblock picture of a truly wild headphone that bends into a motley of positions , include the power to enclose around your wrist to transform into a giant smartwatch . see the double online , I was blown aside — but also a little skeptical . It take care unlike any other fold speech sound I ’ve ever seen , so did Motorola really pull out it off ? Or was it nothing more than flashy pictures online ?

MWC 2025

After play with the tempestuous foldable myself atMWC 2024 , I can confirm that it ’s existent , it really does wrap around your radiocarpal joint , and really is a huge technological accomplishment .

How Motorola’s concept phone works

When it ’s lying flat , Motorola ’s adaptive display concept look like any other Android phone … mostly . It has a 6.9 - inch Full HD+ OLED control board that , although charge card , looks reasonably decent . Colors looked good , everything was penetrating enough , etc . You could use this cover like any other Android earpiece and not notice any difference .

That is until you look at the back of the concept sound . The back of the construct gimmick is an orangish fabric with very visible ridge over the entire thing . It looks dissimilar , it feels dissimilar , and it ’s the first giveaway that you ’re dealing with a very different character of smartphone .

you’re able to bend the phone in a few dissimilar ways — such as transforming it into a little tent or just folding the bottom part of the screen as a improvised stand . They both serve the same purpose of prop up the phone up on a flat surface and showcasing its screen . As a little desk comrade for keeping your middle on a YouTube video , your calendar , etc . , this could come in handy in deal of post .

The back of Motorola’s concept folding phone.

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Motorola could have stopped there and had an interesting approximation on its hands , but it decided to go a footstep further — specifically , displace from its hands to your carpus .

What it’s like to wear a phone on your wrist

The crowing feature film of Motorola ’s construct phone is that you’re able to wear it on your wrist as a smartwatch . However , it ’s a little more complicated than just slapping the telephone on your wrist and calling it a solar day . You first require to put on a metallic element bracelet with a attractive feature center . From there , you line up one of two magnetic legal profession on the back of the phone , and once it ’s attached , thenyou turn away it around your wrist . It ’s a more complicated procedure than I had earlier thought it would be .

You ’re good to go once the headphone is properly guarantee to the bracelet . you may walk around with it on your wrist , move your weapons system up and down , wrestle them around — you name it . Even with a good amount of movement , the phone stay attached to the bracelet amazingly well .

However , that ’s only dependable if youreallymake sure you get the magnet lined up correctly . Failing to do so will cause the phone to flop off if you move your branch around , which is incisively what happened to one of the demo units I saw . Impressively , the phone was completely fine and kept on working even after its tumble .

Motorola’s concept folding phone.

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

When you ’re fatigue Motorola ’s phone on your radiocarpal joint , the portion of the filmdom on the top of your radiocarpal joint fundamentally change by reversal into a cover screen from theMotorola Razr Plus . you’re able to see the time with a clock gismo , check the weather , look at your calendar , call preferred contacts , etc . you could even run away full apps if you want . You have 4.6 inch of screen real estate to work with in the smartwatch style , so whether you just want to expect at the time or watch a YouTube picture , Motorola ’s concept phone has you covered .

Is this the future of folding phones?

All of this sound nerveless , right ? But here ’s the authoritative query : Is this vision from Motorola the hereafter of pen up phones ? Is this a phone I ’d desire to utilise every single day ? That ’s where thing get complicated .

It ’s telling how much the phone is able to fold , but I couldreallyfeel the various hinges move around when I crouch the phone . I worked exquisitely the whole time during my demonstration , but feeling the flexible joint so much through the textile back was a act concerning .

There ’s also the fact that Motorola ’s phone isbigwhen you assume it as a smartwatch . The estimate of stimulate a amply - fledged Android sound on my wrist is cool , but it also looks pretty unsightly . There ’s also the affair of the bracelet , which — while necessary — does n’t feel like something I ’d need to wear or mess with all 24-hour interval long .

Motorola’s concept folding phone.

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

But despite those complaints and concerns , I jazz that this thing live . It ’s easy to reckon at the current smartphone market and claim that phones are “ dull . ” That may be dead on target for some devices out there , but it ’s apparent that companies like Motorola are still doing fantastically interesting things .

I do n’t think this is the next big form gene for folding phones , and I would n’t be surprised if Motorola does n’t move ahead with this concept machine to transform it into a retail production . However , I ’m inebriate that Motorola is think of new ways to use fold phones . This may not be the next full-grown affair , but I ’m certain the folks inside the company have quite a little of other idea about what its next construct telephone set will look like . And I can not hold back to see what it ’ll be .

Someone wearing Motorola’s concept folding phone on their wrist.

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

Someone wearing Motorola’s concept folding phone on their wrist.

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The magnet bracelet for Motorola’s concept folding phone.

Joe Maring / Digital Trends

The magnet bracelet for Motorola’s concept folding phone.

Joe Maring / Digital Trends