Ilaria Rosella Pagliaro A high school student designed a unique foldable phone from scratch, racking up millions of views and attracting the attention of the tech industry.
While tech giants Apple and Samsung are spending billions of dollars on the research and development of cutting-edge smartphones, a 17-year-old boy from central China has done something remarkable all by himself: designing a fully functional foldable phone from scratch. Lan Bowen, a freshman at Yiling High School in Yichang, Hubei Province, used a 3D printer, recycled phones belonging to his family members, and lots of ingenuity to craft the phone. His DIY project soon went viral, garnering around 5 million views online and even being praised by a top smartphone maker.
In a six-minute video posted to Chinese social media on February 16, 2025, Lan takes viewers step-by-step through the entire assembly process, highlighting the technical challenges and testing the innovative design. Unlike most folding models on the market, Lan’s phone features an outward-facing screen rather than an inward-folding one.
I call it meal card machine because it’s about the same size as a cafeteria card when folded — just a lot thicker.”
A unique foldable phone with an outward-facing screen
©Baidu
In exploring the foldable phone territory, Lan noticed that most of the models fold horizontally or vertically, but always with the screen protected inward. That choice, while practical, hinders innovation. So he asked himself: why not create a vertical foldable phone with the screen exposed?
There are some horizontal foldables and some vertical ones that fold inward, but i have yet to see one that folds vertically with the screen on the outside.
To bring his idea to life, Lan used a 3D printer he bought last year for 2,000 yuan (about $275 USD) to print a custom frame. Its innards came from family phones and parts he ordered online. The finished product measures 0.63 inches thick — thicker than its commercial counterparts, but an achievement nonetheless for a homemade device.
The process wasn’t problem-free. One of the largest obstacles was getting the touchscreen to work properly when the phone was open.
I found the issue arose from the screen changing position when the phone opened. after numerous tries and a few busted screens, i finally managed to fix it.
Despite the online buzz, Lan is realistic regarding the current drawbacks of his creation.
My smartphone is still in a very early stage and has quite a few flaws. but the good thing is, it still manages to do everything a normal phone does.
Among those who saw Lan’s talent was Vivo, one of China’s top smartphone brands. The company replied to his video with a message of encouragement, the South China Morning Post reports:
That’s amazing! Vivo is looking forward to seeing more great works from you.
In spite of the overnight fame, Lan remains grounded. He admits to being not so good at most things at school — except for English and geography — but he has always enjoyed doing things with his hands. As a child, he used to build military models, which his parents fostered: his father is a taxi driver, his mother an insurance employee.
With tools like 3D printing now more accessible, amazing DIY projects like Lan’s are more common. Who knows where the next big tech breakthrough will come from?
Source: SCMP
