Japanese studio Nendo has designed a sliding phone concept that can triple the size of a credit card for smart device maker OPPO.

The slide-phone concept has seven hinges that allow the full-size phone to be rotated three times in the same direction, from the 54mm-by-86mm device.

Describing Nendo as “moving like an inch worm”, the phone folds each section into a sliding formation, each inch bending backwards by an inch.

The user slides the OLED screen upwards with the thumb to reveal parts of the touchscreen below.

For example, a single slide opens 40 mm of screen to allow users to view time, view their call history and notifications, and play music.

“Most of the foldable smartphones with LED panel monitors developed in recent years follow the trend of being reduced to the size of a standard smartphone and expanding to a screen that is two or three times the size,” Nendo explained.

“By using folding technology, instead of enlarging the screen, compactness was used for new functionality to increase portability,” it continued.

“Like an inch worm, the phone uses its multiple joints to effectively slide, and can only be converted by the user’s one-finger action.”

“The design opens up new possibilities for smartphones, not only when they are fully folded or unlocked, but also for use when partially opened or folded,” Nendo added.

Sliding the second fold reveals 80mm of the screen and allows the user to use the camera, which moves to the top of the device.

Since the camera is facing the user, it is best for taking selfies or making video calls.

Finally, opening the rest of the phone reveals a thin, seven-inch touchscreen. When placed horizontally, each side of the screen becomes an operating panel with touchscreen buttons.

In “Game Mode” these panels can be used as controllers, while in “Multitask Mode” many applications can be displayed in rows and the user can take photos in the panorama.

When the phone is folded, it features two circular buttons on each side of the device. When the phone returns to its full size, these two circular buttons become four semicircular.

There is also a slot on the side of the phone for a stylus that can be pulled out and used like a pen on the touchscreen.

Nendo wanted the phone to feel like a book or notepad, like “flipping the page” by pulling and expanding the screen.

Each hinge is covered with suede leather to give the phone a more natural look, while the exterior is painted in “calm tones” of black, silver, sage green and brick red.

Nendo also designed a wireless charger for the phone, which has a cuboid-like shape, has a cutout in the middle, and slots the phone.

Charging is an integrated position that can be angled to match the hinged mechanism of the foldable phone.

It’s been a few weeks since Nendo’s slide-phone concept design for the smart device maker unveiled the OPPO X2021 smartphone concept, with the release of a screen on a miniature conveyor belt.

The OLED screen on a button slide grows from 17 cm to 18.7 cm.

Along with the sliding, foldable phone, the Japanese studio has also designed a mobile accessory collection called Mobile-Link for OPPOI, which includes wireless earbuds, a smart watch, an AI speaker, a portable charger and a wireless charger.

Earbuds are the focus of the collection. The two earbuds designed with portability in mind are in the shape of the letter C, and can be clicked together to form a donut shape.

A special neck strap can be inserted through the hole in the center of the two attached earbuds, allowing the wearer to wear it like a necklace.

Each item in the accessory range is designed around earbuds, which resonate throughout the collection when the circular shape is locked together.

When two earbuds are clicked into the smartwatch, there is a charging case and an AI speaker to connect to each device. Music listened to through earphones via a smartphone can be attached to the buds and listened to through a speaker.