Samsung seems to be on a roll lately, busting out all sorts of rollable and foldable display patents to pique our interest, and get us wondering what on earth we could expect from the tech giant next.
The curious device is described in the patent as an “electronic device capable of folding and sliding operations.” While rollable phones, and sliding ones, are both still considered uncommon and exotic in their own right, a device that does both to reveal the maximum possible screen real estate compacted in a small form factor is a novelty indeed.
Particularly if it’s compatible with a stylus, online students could watch class lectures on the go on the flipped-up screen, while taking notes on the other rolled-our portion. It would be very interesting to explore the usability and versatility of a such foldable, flippable screen. Of course, it would need to have an entirely re-designed user interface, to take advantage of all the new possibilities and use cases.
The patent is still awaiting approval from WIPO, and of course, we have no way of knowing if it will ever actually see the light of day. Companies like Samsung and Apple tend to always file for a boatload of patents, with new ones appearing on a near yearly basis. However, it’s a way of preparing for the future and keeping its possibilities open, rather than a guarantee that every patent will actually come to fruition.
