Folding phones may still be the next big thing, but they already face competition from the next big thing in cell phone technology: roller phones.

CES 2021 could be the year of the roller phone. Not only will the LG rollable be available later this year, but TCL also provided an update on the rollable concept, which we first saw last March.

TCL says the phone can expand from a 6.7-inch phone to a 7.8-inch tablet with the tap of a finger, but the video seems to show off a chunkier, square device that extends to a more traditional rectangular phone shape.

Most other rollable devices we have seen start out looking like a regular cell phone and then expand horizontally to something closer to a tablet.

So TCL is doing something a little different, though I don't know if that's a good thing. But I don't know if it is a good thing. Asking people who have been using it for years to get used to a different default form factor is certainly an uphill battle.

Speaking to CNET, Stephan Streit, general manager of global marketing for cell phones at TCL, said the company plans to release a phone with a flexible display this year. However, he did not clarify whether that means a rollable phone like this concept or a typical flexible display like Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 2 or the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3.

Given that TCL has been showing off flexible display prototypes for the past few years, one would assume the latter. Nevertheless, if LG is ready to bring a rollable phone to market later this year, there is nothing so far to suggest that TCL cannot do the same.

However, we have no idea how much it will cost; LG's rollable is reportedly priced at $2,359, so TCL will have to offer a much lower price to maintain the reputation of a value-priced device.

As with folding handsets, it will likely be some time before rollable handsets are generally available at affordable prices. If you're interested in getting a foldable handset now, check out our selection of the best foldable phones.