Motorola patents an inside-out flip phone
Motorola created the world's first flip phone in 1996, and it's a legacy the company is evidently keeping in mind with its latest smartphone patent.
This new patent, published by WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) a few weeks ago, illustrates a new kind of revolutionary flip phone: one that flips outwards instead of inwards, creating a both front-and-back display.
The application was actually submitted back in 2020, but it wasn't until January 2022 that Motorola was granted the new patent. The invention features a flexible display which is able to bend fluidly as the phone flips backwards at the middle.
One of the coolest things about Motorola's concept seems to be the integration of just a single camera module, used for both selfies and regular photos. This camera module would be housed in a moderate-sized bump, as the illustrations show.
Motorola new flip phone patent
One of the minor downsides to this, of course, is a half-sized "viewfinder" through which you'd have to position regular photos, as the phone would have to be in folded position to take them.
In an unfolded position, the camera module is in selfie position, facing the user.
In contrast to Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 3, such a design not only requires one less camera module than usual, but also saves the cost of an extra small screen on the back of the phone to show notifications in closed position.
As we all know, the main deal breaker with most flip phones on the market is the insufferable crease where the display folds along the middle (as well as the formidable price tag). The gentle display curvature in Motorola's design seems like it would prevent any single folding crease lines from ever appearing in the long term.
As MySmartPrice mentions, in 2020, Motorola sold another folding smartphone in partnership with Razr, but like all other foldable phones in its past, it also folded inward. However, this new folding design would be somewhat revolutionary if Motorola ever brings it to fruition. And with lower manufacturing costs, it just may be the first to come with a more affordable price tag.
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