New Huawei patent shows two smartphones with sliding displays

A new Huawei patent has been spotted by LetsGoDigital, showing what appears to be a new approach to conventional folding smartphone displays.

Shown in the design patent are two devices with displays that can extend their screens via sliding parts. The "extendable smartphone Model A" shows an almost bezelless smartphone, featuring a flexible display that can extend from the right side. It appears to feature a triple camera array on one of the edges, which is similar to the one larger edge seen on Huawei's Mate X models.

Pulling out the device would extend the part of the screen that is on the back to the front, increasing the front display by about 30%, making for a tablet-like experience. It's noted that the device appears to be equally thick on all sides, unlike Huawei's previous foldable.


Alternatively, Model B shows a different approach to the sliding system. The cameras are now on the left rear of the device, and the flexible screen also extends from the left. More significantly, this allows for a bigger screen real estate, as the camera array remains on the device's back, when used as a tablet.

Regardless of which design Huawei decides to go with, if the patent even bears fruit, it's certain that we're about to see some much-needed changes in smartphone designs in the coming months.

We recently reported on a Samsung patent, suggesting a new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip design, showing a Z Flip-like device with a taller, flexible screen that bends over the top of the device to cover some of its backside.

In addition, Microsoft is also hard at work, already looking to improve the yet unreleased Surface Duo in future iterations, itself featuring two separate screens held by a hinge, and offering yet another solution towards the race for bigger screens on smartphones.