If device maker LG has any say, foldable phones may soon no longer be a concept of the future.
LG has applied for a patent for an unnamed device, which appears to show what the Korean company’s foldable phone could look like.
The patent was filed in July 2017, but the filing has just now been made public.
It comes as rival phone makers Apple, Samsung and ZTE have all submitted patents for a foldable smartphone.
If device maker LG has any say, soon foldable phones may no longer be a thing of the future. LG has applied for a patent for an unnamed device, which appears to show what the Korean company’s foldable phone could look like
Two concepts are shown in LG’s filing, though both are described as a ‘mobile phone with a flexible display which can be folded in half.’
One photo shows a phone that can be opened to become a hybrid tablet.
The phone appears to have two camera lenses on the back panel and, when folded, the front of the device can display information on the front screen, such as the date and the time.
LG’s always on display technology, which lets users check notifications or the time without touching the screen, could be incorporated into its foldable phone, Mashable noted.
Another prototype appears similar, but when the device is folded, the screen can be pushed to the side to reveal a transparent display that shows the date and time.
LG is joining a crowded group of tech giants who have also patented foldable phone designs.
Samsung is said to be developing a book-like handset with a flexible, organic LED screen, expected to be called the Galaxy X.
One photo shows a phone that can be opened to become a hybrid tablet. The phone appears to have two camera lenses on the back panel and, when folded, the front of the device can display information on the front screen, such as the date and the time
ZTE UNVEILS 1ST FOLDING PHONE
ZTE has revealed the first folding phone, beating Samsung and LG to the punch.
The new Axon M has two 5.2′ displays, which can be used to show separate apps, or work together as a larger tablet display.
It comes as Samsung, LG and Apple are all believed to be working on folding displays for future phones.
The new Axon M has two 5.2′ displays, which can be used to show separate apps, or work together as a larger tablet display
The four modes include:
Dual Mode: Allows a different app on each screen
Extended Mode: Stream, email and play games on a full 6.75-inch Full HD display.
Mirror Mode: Fold the device in Mirror mode and place it on a table for easy viewing from two separate sides.
Traditional Mode: Gives you a great everyday smartphone that’s easy to use and hold in one hand.
Samsung execs have already hinted at the release of a foldable smartphone sometime in 2018.
Apple in November filed a patent for a smartphone that can be ‘opened and closed like a book.’
The unnamed device could be an iPhone that can transform into an iPad.
The iPhone maker is believed to be working with LG to develop the screen technology, but that partnership may be in jeopardy if LG is developing its own foldable smartphone.
Samsung is expected to release a new handset that folds in two like a notebook as early as January next year. A screenshot from a conceptual video showing what the device may look like is pictured
Apple’s patent shows a device similar to a book that can be opened and closed, transforming the phone into a tablet
ZTE beat Samsung, Apple and LG to the punch when it released its foldable phone, the Axon M, in October.
The Axon M has a hinge that allows the device to be opened up to become a single screen.
LG’s patents show a device that doesn’t have a hinge, creating a sleeker, seamless screen when the phone is folded open.
The patent doesn’t indicate when LG might release a foldable phone, however, so it’s unclear whether the device will ever see the light of day.