The future of Samsung's smartphones is set to look very different to its offerings today, with reports that the company is leaning into foldables, and adopting the new Z series for its flagship, in place of the Note and S series.
We've seen a patent for a transparent phone which is a long way off given the components involved, but there's a more achievable piece of hardware on the horizon going by a patent that has just been granted.
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Patently Apple spotted the patent for a "scrolllable/ rollable display device" that features a flexible display panel connected to a "main body", which includes a "support portion".
This isn't the first rollable phone patent we've seen from Samsung – or other smartphone manufacturers.
Earlier this year, LG's rollable phone, codenamed Project B, came to light and was said to already be in production at the time.
Meanwhile, Samsung has had designs on a flexible, rollable display for a while; the patent granted this week was filed back in 2017, while its patent for a rollable smartphone boasting an under-display selfie camera popped up last year.
There's even a video showing off a flexible panel that looks very much like the latest patent that was doing the rounds back in 2016 and shared by SlashGear.
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The technology isn't just limited to smartphones; it has applications for tablets, TVs, and anywhere else you'd display a normal screen.
With working prototypes already in existence, and a push towards more radical form factors for smartphones – like foldables, and LG's Wing – we can't imagine it'll be long before Samsung starts to roll this out in its smartphone line-up.
Source: WinFuture
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