Hybrid foldable, rollable Samsung phone comes to life in mockup illustration
Foldable smartphones are about to undergo another change this year with the release of tri-fold models rumored to come from Huawei and Samsung. As an aside, you have to give Huawei a ton of credit and if you're Apple or Samsung, you pray that they never figure out how to develop their own advanced lithography tech because if they do, Huawei will rule the smartphone world.
Samsung might also have another interesting form factor that combines its book-style foldable with a rollable design. We've seen Sammy experimenting with slidable phones and rollable designs. And now Samsung has been awarded a patent from the U.S. Trademark and Patent Organization (USPTO via CalibreCleaning, Tom'sGuide) titled Display Device. Most patents have long-winded titles so kudos to Samsung for taking something that others might have expanded into a 15-word title and made it only two words. The alliteration helps, too.
Instead of repeating what the patent granted Samsung is for, we can show you thanks to mockups of the device based on the patent created by Calibre Cleaning and XLeaks7. This is a hybrid foldable and rollable tablet. From the outside, it looks like your regular Galaxy Z Fold phone although the rear cameras are on the side of the phone that does not sport the hinge. There also is no cover screen.
When you open the hybrid device, it reveals a large tablet-sized internal display. But if that screen is not enough for you, you can use the rollable technology to extend the screen out on one of the sides to make it larger. Thus, when the device is unfolded there could be a large and small screen mode. When folded, the device looks like the back of a shut Galaxy Z Fold. But here's the cool part; it can be folded but still reveal a small vertical screen segment that sticks out past the rear panel.
This small screen segment could be used for notifications, or used with certain widgets without the user having to open the device. In a way, this would make that vertical strip similar to the larger external displays seen last year on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Razr+ that allows the user to experience much of what either clamshell offers without having top flip open the device.
Illustration of the hybrid phone from Samsung's Dual Display patent
Just because Samsung was awarded a patent, it doesn't mean that this device is coming this year, next year, or any year. But it is a sign that the company continues to be willing to "stretch" the definition of a smartphone in front of our eyes.
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