TCL’s tri-fold prototype phone folds in thirds like an accordion

Now that we have phones that fold in half, companies are starting to imagine phones that fold in thirds. In January, Xiaomi teased a concept phone that folds on both sides. This week, CNET got its hands on another concept by TCL. This one starts as a ten-inch tablet and has dual hinges that fold in opposite directions like an accordion.

As CNET points out, it ends up looking something like a Z or a taco holder. You can also fold all of the screens together so you have a form factor that looks more like the phones we're used to, only it's a thick stack of screens.

While it's great to see companies experimenting with new form factors, don't expect this phone to be available any time soon. It doesn't have a name, projected release date or even a working screen. If and when those things fall into place, the tri-fold phone will face challenges that bi-fold phones have run into, mainly how to protect the display as the device folds repeatedly.