Smartphones with foldable, or bendable form factor are getting real. We saw Samsung launch the inward folding Galaxy Fold last month. The Korean giant was followed by Huawei with the Mate X, which folds outwards. Now a patent filing suggests that Samsung may be working on an altogether different smartphone form factor. Samsung is also known to be working on two more foldable phone designs.
A smartphone you can wear on your wrist
Dutch tech blog LetsGoDigital has spotted a patent from Samsung which reveals a fully bendable smartphone. The patent was filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) last year and was published a few days ago. The blog has envisioned the graphics in the patent document to produce an image of what the device may look like.
As you can see in the picture above, the smartphone features an elongated display that can curl in one direction into a wrist-wearable device. There’s a narrow slider lock on the back of the phone which will keep it from automatically rolling up. Also, the smartphone is fitted with magnets at both ends. The magnets help the device keep its shape when curved.
The back of the phone is supposedly fitted with a flexible elastic plate made of stainless steel. The inclusion of a number of small links give the phone its ability to bend. The device is designed to feel smooth and improve the wearing comfort, according to the patent description. The graphics in the patent document also show a camera setup on the back, as well as a few sensors on the front.
While there’s absolutely no evidence that Samsung is indeed working on such a device, the fact that it’s possible is interesting enough. However, it’s not only Samsung that could see such a smartphone design. Lenovo had showed off such an idea way back in 2016 itself. Chinese electronics brand TCL is also reportedly mulling the idea of these wrist-worn phones.
