We’ve known TCL has had foldable smartphones in the works since leaked patents surfaced earlier this year, and thanks to a second leak, we’ve got a peek at some renders. And they’re ugly as heck.
Five folding gadgets were unearthed back in February, including two phones, two tablets and a bendy bracelet-phone. The latest patents (spotted by Mobile Kopen) are for foldable phones and/or tablets, and a foldable clamshell style handset.
They’re really not much to look at, which is disappointing, but perhaps they’ll get jazzed up if TCL magics them into being in the real world.
The company’s 2019/2020 roadmap was also leaked this week, showing a T1 and T1 Pro handset headed our way in the very near future, followed by 5G variants. Interestingly, a foldable device called the Flexitab was also featured, set for a 2020 Q3 launch.
TCL seems to to be getting its ducks in a row on the old patent front, but we’ll have to see if the company’s release schedule lines up with the roadmap, because it may be a while before we get a glimpse of any of these foldables – if at all. Which I don’t think anyone is going to be too bothered about.
This post originally appeared on Gizmodo UK, which is gobbling up the news in a different timezone.