Motorola Unveils Rizr Rollable Concept Smartphone at MWC 2023

The MWC is underway, and phone manufacturers are busy showcasing their newest and greatest smartphones. The trade show is shaping to be a tech enthusiast's paradise, with everything from Xiaomi's highly anticipated 13 series to OnePlus' astounding liquid-cooled phone on display.

Not to be left out, Motorola has unveiled its "Rizr" rollable concept smartphone. This phone represents the next step in the evolution of smartphones - from foldable to rollable displays.

Motorola Rizr Has a Rollable Display

For the unversed, the Rizr smartphone series was a retro category that primarily released sliding phones. The Rizr Z3 was one such device with a sliding keypad, and Motorola is now resurrecting the iconic brand with its latest rollable smartphone dubbed "Motorola Rizr."

The Rizr has a 5-inch POLED display with a 15:9 aspect ratio in its default form factor, which is small by today's standards. But two taps of the device's power button bring the rest of the display to the front, expanding the screen to 6.5 inches with a 22:9 aspect ratio.

The motorized system takes roughly three seconds to roll the display, and the UI adjusts to this increased real estate: apps stretch vertically, while icons on the home screen are re-aligned for faster access.

When you double-tap again, the display will roll back down, revealing the front-facing camera and speaker grille.

Motorola Rizr Has a Variety of Use Cases

The Rizr's rollable display has some interesting applications. For example, if you watch a YouTube video in horizontal mode, the phone automatically detects that and extends its display to match the aspect ratio.

Similarly, the phone can extend its display to make more room for the keyboard, such as when typing an email in Gmail.

When you flip over the phone, you can see that the display takes up one-third of the back of the phone. Motorola has designed the wrap-around display to function as a secondary back display. It displays notifications and works as an always-on display with the date, time, and weather.

The device's secondary screen on the back also functions as a viewfinder for taking photos. The back display is activated simply by clicking a button, and the subject can see themselves in the preview.

Will the Motorola Rizr Come to Market?

Motorola has developed an intriguing smartphone, and the use cases it demonstrated highlights the benefits of a rollable form factor. Although the Rizr is a fantastic idea, it is only a concept smartphone.

The phone comes protected by a case, but despite that, the question of its durability arises. What happens when the phone falls when its display is extended? Is the device dust and water-resistant? Ruggedness and durability are major concerns here, just as on the first-gen foldable.

These questions will take some time to answer because Motorola has no plans to release the Rizr to the public. These concept devices provide a glimpse into the future, and Motorola may incorporate this technology once it has made significant progress.

Rollable smartphones could be the next "big thing" after foldable smartphones. They can work as standard phones by keeping the main display compact, are easy to use without sacrificing usability, and you can switch to a larger display when needed.