Future Samsung flip phones may have a rollable screen
Samsung has filed a patent application that demonstrates a rollable display technology that can be used in multiple form factors to provide a diverse set of interfaces. The new patent comes after the South Korean tech giant was granted patents in March for triple-decker and rollable display technologies. While the filing only states that the display will be used for “electronic devices,” the illustrated images show a clamshell flip phone, highlighting that it could be used for a future Galaxy Z Flip phone.
Samsung files patent application for flexible display
The patent was first noticed by The Nerd Stash in cooperation with tipster David Kowalski of xleaks7. The patent was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on June 18, and the applicant was named as Samsung Electronics. The patent describes a flexible display with three different housing mechanisms.
Illustration of Samsung flexible display patent
Photo credits: The Nerd Dash/Samsung
According to illustrations shared in the patent filing, the display can be set up in three different ways, which are called “enclosures.” The first enclosure is an unfolded and fully expanded display, where the rollable display appears on the front of the device and unfolds to offer a larger screen.
In the second housing, the extended portion that sits at the top of the frame can be folded to create a more compact candy bar form factor. In the third housing, the display folds in half so that it’s on both the front and back of the device. From the illustrations, both sides of the device appear to be functional.
The camera modules are placed on the frame of the phone. They appear at the top of the device in both folded and unfolded states. The company also highlighted how all three states can be used to show different apps and interfaces.
Samsung stated that the slow influx of flexible displays into the market has led to competition for the development of devices that can transform into different shapes and offer greater portability. The company emphasized that a major advantage of this display technology will be that all three body states function independently of each other and can be set in a combination of folding and sliding operations to create different shapes. Each shape will then offer a different interface and experience.
It should be noted that a patent application is not confirmation of a device that is still in development. Samsung may or may not introduce the design to the public in the coming years, even after the patent is granted.
