Samsung patent reveals hundreds of bizarre drawings showing what the display on the Galaxy S11 could look like
The folding design ideas look like a cross between Samsung's owned, beleaguered Galaxy Fold and Huawei's own foldable Mate X
With rumours suggesting 2020 could be the year smartphone designs get a complete overhaul, it appears Samsung is hedging its bets with a series of alternative looks for the Galaxy S11 and beyond.
As reported by PatentlyMobile, an application, listed in June and awarded to Samsung earlier this month by the US Patent & Trademark Office, contains multiple drawings – 135 to be specific – that we could see on future phones, from foldable and bendable displays to, expandable screens and modular “tabs”.
The folding design ideas look like a cross between Samsung’s own beleaguered Galaxy Fold and Huawei’s foldable Mate X.
One notable drawing shows a bendy display that can be curved and expanded, while another shows two of these flexible displays extending from a centre hinge, resembling a book.
Another features bendable tabs, fixed to the side of the phone, making it resemble a FiloFax. The patent describes how this could be used by students or professionals who need to access files quickly via different screens.
Samsung explains: “Disclosed [in this patent] are devices which include flexible display sheets or other flexible elements, whereas by physically manipulating said flexible display sheets or elements, interaction with said device may be facilitated.
“Flexibility features may be employed to provide methods of interaction which include manipulating flexible section. Some of said methods of interaction are disclosed. Further disclosed are units which can connect to flexible display sheets, for interacting with said flexible display sheets.”
In plain English, Samsung is effectively throwing every possible iteration of a flexible display into this patent in a bid to gain the market advantage. You can see all 135 design ideas via the original patent.