Microsoft patent shows dual screen device with a screen on its hinge

Foldable devices are a young, expensive and fairly niche market right now, but there's already significant enthusiasm behind it. Unless augmented reality (AR) turns out to be the next big thing and makes traditional form factors obsolete, foldables are likely the future.

In recent months, Microsoft introduced its Surface Duo smartphone, featuring dual screens held together by a conventional hinge, instead of using a single plastic screen that bends in the middle, as has become the standard. It has a pair of 5.6-inch displays and is running Android. A promising productivity device, the Duo's design suggests better durability than an average foldable, as the screens appear to be glass-covered, and its 360° hinge looks to be fairly traditional. The Surface Duo is expected to come out around 2020's holiday season.


And now, as reported by Windows Latest (via SlashGear), a new Microsoft patent suggests more out-of-the-box thinking, as it shows a device similar to the Duo, but with a hinge that has a screen on it. This is actually a fantastic solution to having a bezel between two seperate screens, as it could potentially fill in the blank area between them, creating a seamless, single screen-like experience. When the device is closed like a clamshell, the hinge screen is to display notifications and things like music playback controls, as MSPoweruser suggests.


This design creates new hurdles to overcome however, likely meaning two extra hinges will have to be used. That said, it's not even certain that the patent will even lead to an actual product.

We also recently reported that Apple, who have been working on an AR headset, also received a patent suggesting a foldable iPhone. But as fascinating as the future is, the present is also quite impressive, with Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip being out there right now, and reportedly selling really well.