A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about Samsung's most recent foldable and flipping phone patent, published on the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) website. The preliminary drawings featured perhaps the most interesting tri-folding design we've seen yet from the tech giant.
The patent has finally been approved, after the original application was filed in June, and it seems the concept is already beginning to take some sort of shape—with some new, more detailed visual concepts surfacing from Samsung. In fact, the latest sketch is detailed and intriguing enough to catch tech site LetsGoDigital's eye, which used to create the first 3D renders of what the foldable device could potentially look like.
This latest sketch is what LetsGoDigital's renders below are based on. As you can see in the image presented by Samsung Electronics, the foldable device will have three separate screens, which can fold out to reveal one massive flat, seamless display—or several of them, which can be bent into a variety of positions. They are all connected via two hinges: one that folds inwards, and another that folds out, together creating a Z shape.
The realistic renders present an intriguing concept of what such a strange-looking phone might actually feel like in our hands. In a fully folded position, the device has the dimensions of a regular everyday phone, albeit quite a bit bulkier. When unfolded, however, a large tablet is revealed, complete with an HDMI connector and even a working display on the back.
There's a reason the renders don't show the rear display, however. Samsung hasn't yet revealed any of its specifics, which is why it remains a mystery; it could be a large screen, or a tiny one like the one on the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Either way, it will conveniently allow you to use the high-res main rear camera to take selfies.
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Samsung also describes a 4MP selfie camera (as well as a fingerprint sensor) hidden discreetly beneath the front display, which remains unmarred by anything like unnecessary notches or bezels. After all, the whole appeal of this foldable phone is providing the maximum screen space possible.
One of the most interesting drawbacks described in Samsung's tri-folding phone patent, however, involves the quality of the communication signal. A phone that folds multiple times comes at the expense of the interception of the wireless antenna housed inside, Samsung explains.
In order to compensate for this deficiency, the company has designed the incorporation of multiple antennas into the phone, or a minimum of two—one to go in the leftmost screen, and one on the rightmost.
This is far from the first out-there flipping or folding phone concept from Samsung. The tech giant has already established itself as the king of foldables (and flippables) in the market, especially with the success of this year's Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3, and it hasn't stopped exploring ways to test the possibilities of mobile display form factors.
Back in May, long before the latest generation of flipping or folding phones launched, Samsung had already conceptualized the Galaxy Z Fold Tab—which also folds out twice, albeit symmetrically rather than a Z shape. It also transforms from what seems like be a bulky but otherwise regular-sized smartphone, to a full-on tablet with triple the screen real estate.
And while neither the "Galaxy Z Fold Tab," nor the latest foldable/flippable device rendered above is guaranteed—or even likely—to make the cut to actual production in the coming future, it's good to know that there's never a dull moment at Samsung, as the company continues to stay at the forefront of mobile tech exploration and innovation.
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