nendo unveils a credit card-sized phone for OPPO that unfolds into three screens

OPPO, a leading smart device company, has tapped renowned japanese design studio nendo to explore the possibilities of the future of design. the collaboration showcases an exploration into form design, materials and interaction, resulting in the slide-phone — a concept smartphone that can unfold into three times its size.

images by akihiro yoshida

‘I was impressed by OPPO’s philosophy, which goes beyond leveraging the latest technology and pursues a comfortable relationship between people and their products through a human-centric approach to design,’ comments oki sato, founder of nendo. ‘I am looking forward to seeing new concepts from the OPPO team as well as seeing how they manage to further strike a balance between technology and emotional engagement.’

the slide-phone by nendo for OPPO exploits the idea of compactness for a new sense of functionality. in its folded state, the phone measures roughly the same as a credit card — 54 mm x 86 mm. thanks to its three hinges, the phone can unfold like an inchworm into a 7-inch screen with a unique, slender proportion. the controls on the side of the phone are shaped like ellipses cut in half, functioning as two to four buttons, becoming small, semicircular buttons or combining into one large button as the folds slide up and down.

further, the stylus ordinarily inserted in the phone may be taken out for use and the phone folded in half to give the user the feeling of writing in a notepad. the notion resulted in an interface allowing the user to open and close the upper half of the screen to, as it were, flip the page. the hinges are covered with suede leather to prevent the impression that, for having three hinges, the phone is an inorganic, rigid contrivance. the rest of the phone is colored in calming tones selected for their compatibility with this leather. lastly, the wireless charger stand is angled to match the hinged state of the phone so as to have an integrated appearance while charging.

‘nendo’s design is closely aligned with OPPO’s human-centric philosophy,’ OPPO industrial design lead designer xiao bo adds. ‘OPPO aims to bring users a delightful product experience with cutting-edge technology and aesthetic design. this partnership is built upon a conviction that, to create a groundbreaking tech product with the right level of comfort for users, we must focus on “human.” moving forward, we will double down on this approach by engineering products with a more seamless, user-friendly experience.’