LG Rollable not canned says spokesman, but it can only be on life support at best

LG’s Rollable smartphone had been set for a launch in the first quarter of 2021 according to reports and the company went as far as officially teasing it at CES 2021 in January. However, it was only a few weeks later that it was revealed that the company has completely reconsidered its mobile business after years of losses. With its mobile division effectively up for sale, it had been assumed that LG had put its plans on hold, including for the eagerly anticipated LG Rollable.

Earlier this week, Yonhap reported to no one’s surprise that LG had suspended plans for the Rollable -- the news certainly aligned with the company’s plans. Surprisingly though, an LG spokesman told The Verge that, “I can firmly deny that any such decision on future mobile products has been finalized.” While this gives LG’s smartphone fans some hope, the statement doesn’t in any way confirm that the LG Rollable will reach the market as originally planned.

LG has tried many different formulas over the years in an attempt to gain the market traction seen by its home grown rival Samsung. Its latest gamble was the introduction of its new LG Explorer Project range, the first of which was the unconventional, but interesting, LG Wing. The LG Rollable was expected to be the second in the series and possibly the first to market with an extendable display. While it is unlikely to be a commercial hit thanks to an inevitably high entry price, it would be a potential game changer from a design standpoint and a halo product as a result.