Samsung patents dual-screen smartphone

Detailed patent describes multiple uses for innovative smartphone

Samsung has filed a patent for a smartphone with two screens.

The patent describes a phone with two interconnected screens on a foldable device. One screen is one the front of the device while the other is on the back. When the device is unfolded, the two screens lie next to each other.

Samsung's design resembles something like a Nintendo 3DS with its hinge on back to front.

According to the patent, the two screens could be used to display independent apps or work together, such while playing a game, reading ebooks and much more.

Pictures of the device have been filed with the US Patent Office.

The filing contains more than one hundred patent figures. They are each broken down into distinct categories, such as calendars, photos and much more.

Details of the patent were first published by Patentbolt.

The hinged smartphone has the ability to stand freely. The function is demonstrated in one of the pictures, where users can be seen playing a game. In it, one screen is visible to them, while another screen is visible to everyone else.

Other pictures show potential uses for the second screen. One describes how one screen could be used to display caller information while the other would show things like a business presentation.

The device is the second innovative device Samsung is developing that we've been privy to.

Last month, the company detailed in a company meeting a device with a foldable screen that it expects to launch in 2015. Details of the meeting were later published online.

Ben Furfie is a former freelance writer for T3.com who produced daily news stories for the site on tech and gadgets. He also live-managed the T3 Award websites during the 2013 and 2014 T3 Awards. Ben later moved into web development and is now a Technical Development Manager leading a team of developers.