I'm Not Supposed to Have This...

Why It Matters

The LG Rollable proves rollable display technology is mature and market‑ready, offering manufacturers a blueprint for future devices and highlighting the cost of abandoning pioneering hardware.

Key Takeaways

• LG Rollable prototype survived despite LG’s smartphone division shutdown.
• Dual‑motor gear system enables smooth 200,000 extensions of display.
• Flexible screen extends from 5.5‑inch to nearly 7.5‑inch tablet size.
• Device uses rear glass panel covering soft plastic display, not fully waterproof.
• Teardown reveals 4,500 mAh battery, 64 MP main camera, and complex mechanics.

Summary

The video showcases a one‑of‑a‑kind LG Rollable smartphone prototype that never reached the market because LG shuttered its mobile division in 2021. The presenter obtained the device, demonstrating its unique roll‑out mechanism that transforms a 5.5‑inch phone into a near‑7.5‑inch tablet‑sized display, all while playing music to mask the motor hum. Key technical insights include a dual‑motor, gear‑rack system rated for roughly 200,000 extensions, a soft‑plastic flexible screen hidden beneath a rear glass panel, and robust construction capable of moving textbooks during operation. The phone houses a 4,500 mAh battery, a 64 MP primary camera with OIS, a 12 MP ultrawide lens, and a rear fingerprint‑powered button, all secured with numerous Phillips screws that the reviewer meticulously removes. Notable moments feature the device’s self‑pausing when obstructed, the zipper‑like internal linkages, and the revelation that the rollable’s motor strength is sufficient to push metal channel locks. The teardown exposes spring‑loaded arms, metal guides, and a transparent back that reveals internal components, confirming the phone was essentially production‑ready before cancellation. The broader implication is that LG had engineered a genuinely market‑ready rollable form factor years ahead of current foldable offerings from Samsung and Apple. Its disappearance underscores the risk of innovative hardware being lost when corporate strategy shifts, while the detailed teardown provides valuable data for future rollable designs and signals that the technology is viable for mainstream adoption.

Original Description

The LG Rollable was never supposed to see the real world. But here we are. Come touch grass HERE: https://www.dbrand.com/touchgrass it feels amazing. The LG Rollable was supposed to be released back in 2021. But then LG decided to shut down their mobile smartphone division - and the LG Rollable got buried. Then I came along with a shovel.

Lets open up the LG Rollable and see how it works from the inside.

You can get my smartphone toolkit HERE: https://www.ifixit.com/Jerryrig