LG Rollable phone is not dead — LG weighs in on rumors

LG Rollable
(Image credit: LG)

After rumors surfaced that the LG Rollable phone had been cancelled, the company has weighted in. Apparently no decisions have been made yet, which leaves the phone in a limbo state.

These rumors arose after speculation LG might leave the phone business. While saying the phone’s fate is undecided is not particularly good news, there is still a chance the LG Rollable will arrive later this year as originally promised.

Rollable phones could be the next big thing in the phone industry, functioning as an evolution of the foldable devices we’ve started seeing the past couple of years. You just have a mechanism that evenly expands the screen rather than a single fold you have to flip open yourself. That means you don’t have to worry about damaged hinges or creases in the screen.

LG isn’t the only company that has been tinkering with rollable phones. Samsung and Oppo have both done some work of their own, but so far LG is the only company that’s promised to let us buy one. Obviously, we were pretty upset when we heard the phone might end up being cancelled thanks to financial difficulties faced by LG’s smartphone division.

But LG told The Verge that no decision has been made about the rollable’s release, or the future of LG’s smartphone division. It’s not as encouraging as additional promises that the phone is still coming, but it’s not the end of the line just yet.

It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if LG did completely exit the smartphone industry. The company has struggled to compete over the past few years, and it’s reported that LG’s smartphone business has lost around $4.5 billion over the past five years.

But as The Verge points out, rumors about the rollable’s uncertain future stem from a change in the phone’s manufacturing schedule. A report from Yonhap News claims LG had told suppliers the phone was on hold, and that they could request a refund for their development efforts.

But delays aren’t cancellations, and it wouldn’t be surprising to hear that the phone isn’t coming quite as soon as LG promised. The rollable design is brand new, after all, and problems can arise at any point when you’re trying something that hasn’t been done before. The botched launch of the very first Samsung Galaxy Fold is proof of that.

Let’s just hope that the LG Rollable does see the light of day, and before LG’s smartphone business goes completely under. But, failing that, there’s always the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 to keep us going until someone else can actually sell us a rollable of their own.

Tom Pritchard
UK Phones Editor

Tom is the Tom's Guide's UK Phones Editor, tackling the latest smartphone news and vocally expressing his opinions about upcoming features or changes. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He’s usually found trying to squeeze another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of coffee, or complaining about how terrible his Smart TV is.

Latest in Phones
Google Pixel 9 Pro in hand
Epic Google sale on Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel Watch and more — 9 deals I’d buy with up to $400 off
A YouTuber holding the leaked Pixel 9a
Google Pixel 9a just fully leaked in new YouTube video — here's everything it reveals
iOS 19 logo on an iPhone
iOS 19's big redesign is tipped to bring a whole new look and unite all of Apple's devices — and pave the way for a foldable iPhone
iPhone 16 Pro Max shown in hand
Forget iPhone 17 — the iPhone 18 could be the first phone with under-display Face ID
iPhone 17 Air render
iPhone 17 Air report just revealed a big surprise about battery life — and Apple scrapped this screen idea
iPhone Flip Concept
Foldable iPhone and foldable iPad both just tipped for production next year
Latest in News
Samsung HW-Q990D soundbar
Samsung’s flagship 2024 soundbar just got bricked by a new firmware update — don’t update
A hacker typing quickly on a keyboard
New MassJacker malware is hijacking digital wallets to steal large sums from users
Erin Doherty as Briony Ariston and Owen Cooper as Jamie Miller in "Adolescence" on Netflix
Netflix just got a gripping crime drama show that’s already hit No. 1 — and it’s 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
Leslie Bibb in The White Lotus season 3
Last night's 'White Lotus' cameo is less surprising than you think
Garmin Fenix 8 Sleep
New data reveals the average Garmin sleep score — do you sleep better or worse than most people?
Miele Guard L1 smart vacuum cleaner
Miele has launched its first vacuum cleaner with Wi-Fi — and it’s a game changer