A two-screen smartphone that was never released in Japan
By using the back of the smartphone as a display, some smartphones that "can be used both front and back" have appeared in the past, but all of them disappeared immediately. Since it was not sold in Japan, many people may not know its existence in the first place. When it comes to the display area on the back side, you can't put on the case, and there was no merit that you could use the back side in the first place. [Photo] The back of Unihertz "Tick Tock". At first glance, the watch looks like a circular display, but it's also a hassle to flip the device over to see notifications, such as when you flip your smartphone over and place it on your desk. Then, smartphones with a small sub-display on the back came out little by little. For example, Xiaomi's "Mi 11 Ultra" has a small 1.1-inch sub-display next to the camera, which can usually display the date and so on. Looking at the back of the Mi 11 Ultra, the sub-displays are lined up comfortably, and it seems rather natural that there is a display there. However, there are smartphones that are equipped with a design that makes the display on the back stand out and is a little more appealing. The "Tick Tock" sold by Unihertz, which has a slightly unusual product such as a smartphone with a keyboard in Japan, has a 1.3-inch circular display embedded in the back. The left and right sides are decorated like a wristwatch belt, and when you display an analog clock, it looks as if the clock is stuck to the back of your smartphone. It's a rather unusual design, but in fact, it has already been implemented by a Chinese manufacturer called "8848". 8848 develops ultra-luxury smartphones and has been selling smartphones for hundreds of thousands of yen for several years. Genuine leather and crocodile leather are used for the back of the main body, and expensive natural materials such as rubies are embedded in the power button that is operated many times. Speaking of high-end smartphones, a manufacturer called "VERTU" has been selling products for more than 10 years, and that VERTU is currently being developed mainly in China. A product called a high-end smartphone may be in demand in China. The advantage of having a built-in sub-display on the back of the smartphone is that you can perform some operations while turning the main unit upside down. The most convenient way is to check the name displayed on the sub-display when you receive a call, and just touch the sub-display to receive the call. Since you don't have to turn the main unit upside down, you don't have to answer unnecessary and non-urgent calls such as solicitation talks. You can also take a selfie using the high-quality main camera on the back by displaying a preview on the sub-display when the camera starts up. Generally, the main camera has higher image quality than the front camera, so it is brighter and more beautiful to take a selfie in a slightly dark room or in a slightly dark place at night. The rear sub-display may have a rectangular shape like Xiaomi, but by making it circular, you can design it like a wristwatch or smart watch placed on the back of the smartphone as described above. The back of the smartphone is designed to differentiate each company by designing the camera part, but by displaying the face of the watch on a circular display, it is possible to design it with a wristwatch (like) embedded. This will be very eye-catching. There are only a few models of smartphones with sub-displays, and the functions that can be used are limited. However, it would be a waste to leave the back of the smartphone as a "just board". One of the smartphones from Japan, BALMUDA's "BALMUDA Phone" is a product equipped with basic functions, but it has an indicator light on the back and blinks to notify you if there is a notification. It's just one light, but this notification is pretty handy when you put it upside down. The move to install a sub-display on the back of a smartphone is likely to be done by Samsung, which also has its own display subsidiary. Speaking of which, foldable smartphones such as Samsung have a foldable display and another display that can be displayed even when closed. A vertically folded smartphone has a small sub-display on the back when it is closed. The movement to mount multiple displays on smartphones and link and utilize each has already begun on folding smartphones. The vertically folded smartphone "P50 Pocket" on sale from Huawei is equipped with two circular displays on the back, and one side can be used as the face of an analog watch. A circular sub-display that allows you to enjoy analog-style wristwatch design on your smartphone, the latest IT product. It may be installed in smartphones that are conscious of fashion and design in the future.
Yasuhiro Yamane
