A CUTTING-edge mobile phone featuring a rollable screen designed and built in Southampton is about to be released in Italy.

A world first, the 5in screen rolls up inside the phone, which is small enough to fit in a pocket and is being shipped to the first customers before the end of the year.

Called Readius, the device is initially being launched by telecom Italia, but is expected to be available over here in the near future.

It is just the first in what Polymer Vision, which bought hi-tech Southampton firm Innos in October this year, will soon be a standard feature on mobile phones - a screen that can roll like a piece of paper. Initially they are only black and white, but are soon expected to become colour and grow in size.

The rollable screens offer a greatly increased viewable area over existing glass displays, with minimal size or weight increases over existing handsets and Polymer Vision claims a year's head-start over its nearest rivals.

A company statement said that it planned to use the technology to "triple mobile display sizes over the coming years - while maintaining pocket-sized consumer friendly mobile devices".

It also plans to keep the manufacturing facility at Millbrook Technology Campus, where more than £3m has been invested in cutting-edge clean room technology.

Karl McGoldrick, chief executive of Polymer Vision, said: "Growth in mobile content has us looking at our mobile phones even more than we listen to them, so rollable displays are an exciting solution for everyone.

"Replacing glass-based displays as the dominant display option for mobile devices is no simple challenge, but that is what Polymer Vision is going to do."