It wasn't long ago that we were seeing technology for foldable displays demoed. It was a very interesting gimmick at the time, but thought of as far too primitive for everyday use. Apparently it has matured enough for Polymer Vision to head to market with their new product called “Readius”. The new device is being pitched as both a phone and an e-reader, with its big selling point being the foldable display screen.

The screen, when expanded, is significantly larger than the screen of a typical mobile at 5 inches, yet it retains the portability of a smaller mobile. The device also promises leaps and bounds of battery life improvement, largely in part due to the low power consumption the device sports. The advantages may end there, however. Fragility, low resolution and functionality could all be setbacks to this as of yet unreleased device. A mere 16 shades of color might have a hard time competing with the bright displays of modern cellphones or the ease of actually reading a book versus something on a foldable screen.

There is a lot of leeway to give the company, however, as they are obviously bold enough to try an infant technology. It will be very interesting to see this unit once it makes it to the market.