The Ideal Phone / Watch / Tablet

02-27-24 And Two Years Later

Instead of rolling the display out of the phone, roll it around your arm:

A rollable phone

 This is a design I've been thinking about for years - what is the ultimate phone/watch/tablet?

Is it a communicator like on Star Trek? No -  cell phones require both hands to use.

Is it a bigger phone? No - it wouldn't fit in your pocket, plus have the same drawbacks as a phone.

Is it a bigger watch? Perhaps, but how do you make it big enough to be useful as a smartphone or tablet?

The answer to this last question is a simple bit of mechanical magic which I first encountered handing off a "baton" while running relays with my teammates. This modern baton wasn't a stick at all; instead it was a long piece of stressed metal that opens in a straight fashion but will wrap around when struck against your arm. It's really a VERY simple device, but has an application not yet appreciated: 

Reusable Erasable Wearable Silicone Memo Waterproof Wrist Band

I want to be clear; even though this is a link to an Amazon product, this is not an endorsement, nor do I care one way or the other if you buy one or not. The link is not monetized by me. I'm simply using the link because it presents what COULD be a new type of flexible display.

Imagine a leather strap attached to the back of a metal device similar to the one from this link but 5 inches wide and only about 8 inches high, but still mechanically stressed in a similar fashion. Now roll it out flat and apply a  display to its surface. In this form it would present a reasonably sized tablet.

Next, strap it to your wrist like an old-fashioned wrist guard and add electronics from a smartphone. Now flip it down out of the way. When the phone rings, a horizontal strip across the center would light up showing who was calling and maybe even a photo. If you need more display space, simply reach around your wrist to flip up the section above, and possibly even the section below - your wrist becomes a flexible touch-sensitive 5 x 8 inch tablet able to do anything you might do with a normal tablet, cell phone or watch.

You're welcome.

Finally?