Lenovo seems to be gearing up for a new press event set to take place in October, and according to a couple of recent teasers shared via Chinese social network Weibo, the OEM might be preparing to unveil a flexible smartphone next month. Specifically, a Weibo user recently published a hands-on video with a flexible Lenovo-branded smartphone, and the official Lenovo Mobile page on Weibo reposted the video with the caption “see you in October.” Some details might have been lost in translation but the OEM seems to confirm that the flexible smartphone doubles as a wrist device, which makes a lot of sense given the unit’s exterior design.
Moreover, the device shown in the recent video closely resembles a prototype flexible smartphone teased by the Chinese OEM at Lenovo Tech World back in the summer of 2016. But while the concept was seen in 3D renders a couple of years ago, the video at hand seems to showcase a working unit equipped with a touchscreen display that functions when the device is both folded in or out. The operating system appears to be based on Android OS, although it seems to feature a custom UI on top of Google’s software. Same as before, the device is quite narrow and has an unusually tall image format, along with very large top and bottom bezels. The lower bezel carries the Lenovo branding while the upper one seems to accommodate a loudspeaker and not much else. The back of the device is segmented in various places allowing the unit to be folded into a more cylindrical shape and worn as a wrist gadget.
Over the past couple of years, Lenovo also showcased a foldable tablet prototype, but that device hasn’t been mentioned in the recent posts on Weibo and it’s unclear whether the OEM continued to develop the slate alongside the wrist smartphone for a potential October unveiling. Hardware details are also missing so it remains to be seen if this foldable device will adopt high-end internal components or if the OEM had to make some sacrifices in this regard in order to create the flexible design. More details are likely to be shared by Lenovo next month, but as far as a market launch is concerned, only time will tell if the OEM will beat its rivals to the punch and have its first flexible smartphone ready for prime time before the end of the year. October could once again mark the demonstration of a more advanced prototype device, and as yet there’s no official word on whether the unit is ready for the market.