Remember the LG Rollable? It was a highly anticipated rollable phone that LG teased at CES 2021 before the company decided exit the smartphone industry. It probably would have been the first (and, at this point in 2026, the only) rollable phone commercially available to consumers.
Well, even though the phone never starts, some people He managed to get his hands on her. While we’ve seen the phone in action, JerryRigEverything’s Zack Nelson went a step further and took it apart to reveal the inner workings of this rather unique phone.
Article continues below.
LG Rollable teardown reveals all
Hands-on with the LG Rollable shows Nelson expanding and retracting the screen, which plays a whimsical sound over the rather loud sound of the motor below. The software intelligently adjusts based on the state of the screen, including when watching videos, which will be enlarged when the screen is expanded. Meanwhile, the back of the phone would show a usable active screen section when the phone is retracted, which can be used to display widgets and even take selfies with the dual main cameras.
Nelson points out the zipper-shaped links, which are likely responsible for holding things together along the curve of the device, while also showing how strong the motors are in making the phone push items like a large book. Ultimately, these are the things we want to see, and Nelson carefully gets to work taking the phone apart.
What is revealed is a unique internal structure consisting of three spring-loaded mechanical arms that help keep the screen uniform when expanded or retracted and tucked into the internal frame when not in use. Meanwhile, dual motors on top push the internal structure along a rail, and Nelson called the phone “over-engineered” while still marveling at its innovation.
Other specs include a 64MP primary sensor, a 12MP ultrawide sensor, and a 4500mAh battery that would make even the Galaxy Z Fold 7 jealous. There’s also a rear fingerprint sensor that doubles as a power button, something I wish was even more common on smartphones.
Other companies have shown rolling conceptsbut none seemed to have been as close to launching one as LG, focusing instead on folding phones. Still, it would have been interesting to see how different things could have been if rollable phones had appeared on the scene in 2021, giving consumers an alternative form factor to choose from.
Let us know in the comments what you think of the LG Rollable and if you would have purchased one.
