Samsung currently has a huge dominance in the foldable mobile phone market, at the same time, more and more manufacturers are entering the foldable mobile phone market. According to a recent industry report from research firm Canalys, foldable smartphone sales are expected to continue to surge in the next few years.
Samsung is clearly not giving up its leadership in foldable phones, and Samsung is working on more different types of foldable phones. According to LetsGoDigital, Samsung recently applied for a patent for a mobile phone with a partially foldable screen.
Graphic designer Jermaine Smit (aka Concept Creator) was commissioned by LetsGoDigital to create a series of renderings of the phone based on Samsung Electronics' patents.
This is a patent submitted by Samsung Electronics to WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) in mid-2021, titled "Electronic Device Consisting of a Flexible Display", and was approved and published on January 20, 2022.
The patent shows that in its most compact form, the device has a similar form factor to a regular phone. Uniquely, however, the display in the upper left corner extends to the back. If you turn the phone around, you'll see that the surface of the screen extends straight to the vertical camera system.
However, this is not a dual-screen phone, but a foldable phone. The top half of the screen can be folded, so the screen on the back can be unfolded to expand the area of the front screen. After unfolding, the phone forms a "P shape" as a whole, similar to the shape of a boomerang.
To make this happen, Samsung built a neat hinge. The patent document also states that the screen will use UTG (Ultra Thin Glass). In addition, there are three magnets on the back, which can prevent the screen on the back from suddenly unfolding and damaging.
Since the lower part of the smartphone remains the same, users can maintain a good grip on the device whether or not the upper screen is unfolded. Sensors can be used to determine mobile device usage and then automatically adjust the interface.
The document also talks about the picture-in-picture situation. By fully unfolding the phone's screen, the picture-in-picture is automatically displayed on the extra screen section, allowing you to see both pictures in full. This feature can also come in handy during video calls.
In its most compact form, the extra screen section will sit at the back. This creates a dual-screen phone in which the rear portion acts as a viewfinder for taking high-resolution selfies with the main camera.
Next to the display is a vertical camera system consisting of three cameras and a flash, and the phone also has a front-facing camera. Finally, the document mentions that the phone will feature two batteries, which are already featured in the brand's Z Flip and Z Fold smartphones. It needs to be pointed out that, as a patent, it is still unknown if and when Samsung will launch this type of smartphone in the future.
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