Foldable phones: TCL's triple-screen phone opens and closes like a clutch, transforms into a tablet

Foldable phones are a fad that refuses to die out. Even though the most recent foldable phone, Samsung Fold was highly overpriced and had many bugs, smartphone companies are still imbued with the technology.

TCL has thrown its own device in the mix. The Chinese company has showcased a foldable phone with a twist – it has a triple-screen mechanism instead of the usual two-screen one.

The way it folds is the most interesting part – think about two Galaxy Fold devices attached to each other and sharing the middle screen. It looks like a woman's clutch.

The design of the device was introduced by CNET in a YouTube video.

Foldable phones have been notoriously fragile and using a three-screen mechanism may seem even more so. TCL wants to resolve this by using a new hinge that connects all the screens to form a tablet-like display.

While Samsung and Huawei have opted for a square form factor for when the device is folded so that it is easy to hold, TCL uses a rectangular form factor, which makes it closer to a regular smartphone.

TCL is using not one but two hinges to attach the displays. These hinges fold in opposite directions. This makes it feel like the device has combined the ergonomics of both the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X in one device.

Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Fold it doesn't need an inner screen and an outer one. The way it folds ensures that at least one fold is always on the outside, which makes it function like a normal phone when folded.

While the clear specs of the device are not known, from the video some features can be assessed. It has a quad-camera setup, the rear and a USB-C charging port at the bottom on one of the three screens. It has a speaker on the middle screen.

Other details about the device are not yet known.