TCL knows all about displays, so it is no surprise that its latest foldable phone concept is solid In fact, the device is so solid that it looks like it could hit store shelves in the next few weeks (except for a software glitch that activates the phone's flashlight at an inopportune time, I'm still a little blind in my left eye)

The teal holographic finish and 72" AMOLED (2048 x 1536) panel were beautiful and felt almost perfectly finished

However, according to the company, the latest prototype is one of 30-40 different designs it has developed, and may not be the form factor that will determine when the foldable makes its debut this year In fact, TCL's foldable may not look like this If Motorola's Razr reboot sells well, the company may ditch the wallet-sized prototype I saw at CES and take a flip phone approach

This is not TCL's first foldable concept At last year's Mobile World Congress, the company showed off a Galaxy Fold-like phablet and a Razr-style clamshell behind glass; in October, TCL previewed a truly wild tri-fold phone So it came as a surprise when TCL's chief marketing officer, Stefan Strait, said the phone might not be the one that hits store shelves this year

The reaction to the Razr, whose launch was recently delayed due to overwhelming demand, may spur smartphone markers like TCL to change gears

"Razr helped steer the conversation in a different direction," Streit said He added, "Before, we felt like consumers didn't know if they needed a regular smartphone that would expand to a larger screen, and now we're seeing a lot more of that

Now, people seem to want smaller, more pocketable devices that open up to regular-sized smartphones

The prototype TCL showed at CES is larger than the Razr and has no external notification screen; according to Streit, the particular device I used was opened and closed over 200,000 times The folding type creaked when opened, but was otherwise still firm and had no visible creases It opens completely flat and closes with no gaps; Streit also stated that the ends of the display shifted when closed, but this was not perceptible to my eyes

The prototype I saw used a butterfly hinge rather than the DragonHinge technology seen in previous concepts

Before TCL commits to a folding design, the company plans to release three regular smartphones in the US If all goes well and the other foldable finds a user, a TCL foldable phone will appear this year Just which one it will be remains to be seen

Be sure to check out our CES 2020 hub for the latest announcements and hands-on impressions from Las Vegas