Motorola and Microsoft have both filed patents for foldable smartphones which could very well be the next big thing in the evolution of smart phone technology along with Apple, Huawei and Samsung following the trail. Motorola had filed the patent way back in September, 2016 before WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) for a foldable device transforming itself into a tablet which got approved this year on 13th March.
Motorola however, refused to comment on the new patent upon being asked by CNET. It will act as a usual smartphone which when folded can change to a full tablet. When unfolded with two screens for interaction will have a main camera positioned at the top left along with the speaker on the top right. Motorola has also decided to include a cover for protection that will act as a wireless charger as well. This will be removable and will have an opening for the camera. Earlier Motorola’s parent company Lenovo had come up functioning foldable device prototypes before anyone else did.
Presently Microsoft has filed four patents for foldable smartphones implementing Windows 10 that would be groundbreaking and state-of-the-art. The foldable smart phones are rumored to be named as Andromeda or Surface phone. The hinges are going to be developed into four types which are “Hinge with free-stop function”, “Hinge Mechanism”, Hinge device with living hinge” and “Hinge device with snap lock”.
Microsoft intends to join two screens producing one image which could be as a phone, tablet as a well as a laptop that will enable rotation of up to 360 degrees. It will display a dual image which would have at least one bendable connection element following an S shaped path when in the form of a tablet. With the ‘snap lock’ feature, it will allow rotation of up to 180 degrees that would stop an inadvertent closing action on the smartphone. In reality out of numerous patents filed only a few clear the norms of acquiring patent protection.
Microsoft in comparison to Samsung, Google along with Apple had filed more patents and is serious about the foldable smartphone concept with the new OS to be termed as ‘Window Core OS’. While a report states that Microsoft may be planning to introduce maintenance for Win32 applications for the foldable smartphones.
This will be materialized by 2019 with the foldable smartphone to be released in 2018 to be named Andromeda CShell. Microsoft has stated that it foldable technology will increase the screen size without making the device larger providing a great user experience. At present, when most smartphones have focused on giving large displays, increasing the screen size would make the device larger, while the foldable option tackles this problem by giving a larger screen at a compact size.