Presumably, tech companies, especially the forward thinking ones, file a lot of patents in order to be one step ahead of their competitors. Samsung is one of those, having had recent patents filed for new form factors for the smartphone. But over the past years, they haven’t really had that “next big thing” that they’ve been trying to replicate. Will the newest patent filed, which calls for an extendable display, be the one that will have them revolutionize the smartphone again?
When Samsung first came out with the Galaxy Note phablet, many didn’t think it would catch on. Years later, most OEMs have come out with phablets of their own. While the Korean company did introduce edge display with their Galaxy edge variants, it hasn’t really been a resounding success and some people don’t really see the practicality or purpose of having this new kind of smartphone. They’ve filed other patents like bendable, foldable phones, dual-displays and even roll-up displays. None of them have come into fruition yet.
If this latest patent that they’ve filed eventually gets made into a new smartphone, will it be that next big thing for the brand? Basically, it’s like the roll-up display, but more traditional looking compared to other smartphones. If you want to use it like a normal device, then you keep the display as is, which is basically smaller. But if you need a bigger screen, you grasp the edge and pull, with the display unfolding into a larger display which will allow you to view videos on a bigger screen, read books, write, or whatever it is that the bigger screen will allow you to.
Since it is still a patent, we have no timetable as to when we’ll see some progress here, and if there ever will be progress. Or it can take the path of all those other patents filed and languish in smartphone development purgatory. Only time will tell of course.
VIA: Patently Mobile
