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 7.2" 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.