Samsung is the global leader in the foldable smartphone market. It is expected to soon introduce a tri-fold and potentially enter the rollable smartphone space in the coming years. The Korean firm recently received approval for a rollable phone patent that expands vertically. If Samsung wants to proceed with this design in the future, it could shape the next evolution of smartphones.
Samsung’s patent shows off a rollable phone
Initially filed on March 28, 2023, Samsung has recently been granted a patent for a rollable device by the US Design Patent. The patent document includes several schematics of the device, revealing its design from all angles in its compact state. Thanks to the collaboration between @xleaks7 and DomoAI, we can now see mock-ups based on patent sketches, which gives us an appealing look of the possible rollable device.
At first glance, the device looks like the Galaxy Z Flip 6. But it’s a rollable device with a compact design that expands vertically. As the device implements a rollable mechanism, it appears thicker than a typical Samsung device. We can see that the front display has relatively thin bezels, while the chin seems quite large.
As for cameras, it features a dual camera system with a flash, a similar setup to that of the Galaxy Z Flip 6. While the patent schematics don’t show any buttons, the unofficial mock-ups add a single button on the right side, which readers should take with a grain of salt.
It is worth noting that patent schematics only show us a brief look at a rollable device in its compact state. It does not include any drawings of how the device appears when fully expanded, leaving much of its design and mechanism open to speculation.
Do note that, like other big companies, Samsung also files a lot of patents. However, it doesn’t mean that all of them become real products. The same goes for this latest rollable phone patent — there is no guarantee that the device will turn into a commercial product. However, it shows that Samsung is serious about mobile technology innovation.
