This OPPO rollable phone design hides cameras by default

OPPO seems to be planning to launch a commercially-available rollable phone, as the company patented such a device that hides the cameras, actually. Sounds confusing? Well, let me explain.

A new OPPO design patent appeared at CNIPA in China. As many of you know, this doesn’t have to mean anything, as tech companies register patents all the time. Still, this one is quite interesting, and it may become an actual device moving forward.

This OPPO rollable phone actually hides its cameras by default

If you check out the images below the article, you’ll see what I mean. This device’s cameras are hidden when it’s rolled in. When it’s fully extended, its cameras on the back are exposed.

The device would look great when rolled in, but with a major downside… you wouldn’t be able to take any pictures until you extend it. Needless to say, that’s not the most functional solution, even though it’s aesthetically pleasing. Those cameras are also well-protected in this state, so that’s a plus.

You will also notice that there is no camera on the front side. We presume that OPPO envisioned an under-display camera for this phone, which would make sense, from a design standpoint. The phone goes out of its way to hide the rear cameras, so why not do the same with the front-facing one?

All the physical keys are located on the right-hand side of this phone. A Type-C port is visible at the bottom, along with a loudspeaker. There are quite a few images included below, showing this phone in both extended and rolled-in state.

The company already announced a rollable phone, but only a working concept device

Now, some of you may recall another rollable phone from OPPO. Way back at the end of 2020, this company showed off the OPPO X 2021. That was the company’s concept rollable device, but it was fully functional.

OPPO never got around to making it commercially available, as were still some obstacles to remove. The device was not ready for primetime, it seems. It has been almost two and a half years since then, however, and we’re expecting the very first commercially available rollable smartphone to see the light of day in the near future. Will OPPO be the company to release it? Only time will tell.