We know foldable phones will be coming someday. That someday could mean this year for some OEMs like Samsung has been rumored to be working on a foldable display. Actually, the South Korean tech giant is already set to launch foldable smartphones in the 3rd quarter. Recently, a patent for a ‘fold-out’ smartphone design was given and another one for a flexible OLED display.
What’s more intriguing is that LG is reportedly will be the supplier of the foldable displays for Microsoft, Apple, and Google. Samsung isn’t included as t is working on its own. LG’s efforts led some people in the industry to believe that the company is also developing a foldable phone.
A patent related to LG was discovered today. Looking at the illustrations, the device appears to be a hybrid smartphone and tablet. The display is on the outside instead of inside the the fold. It’s not a typical foldable-flexible display but more of a “folded” design. The display when opened shows a bigger screen. Fold it and you’ll have a regular sized mobile phone with about a 5.5-inch screen.
The design doesn’t seem final yet but sure looks promising. Some features we can distinguish include a camera, power switch, LED flash, and a fingerprint scanner. This patent doesn’t mean anything has been confirmed or made official yet but we’re hopeful that LG will release a foldable phone and rival Samsung and other OEMs unveiling new products. The mobile industry needs variety. It’s about time foldable phones enter the horizon.
VIA: GSMinfo.nl
