14 DAY TRIAL // Foldable smartphones are said to arrive at the end of this year, but they will most likely be announced in the first half of 2018. These devices will be the “next big thing” on the smartphone market, which is why many manufacturers are working on designing a model of their own.
Samsung is known to be developing a foldable smartphone that would fold out and transform into a 7-inch tablet. News broke a few days ago that Nokia might also announce a foldable phone in the future, while Lenovo already showcased such a device during last year’s Tech World event.
The latest report by Trendy Techz shows that LG has already designed such a technology, or at least on paper. A while ago, LG filed a patent application for a foldable smartphone. To be more precise, the application was filed on January 7, 2015, and approved a few days later by the USPTO. We have heard some recent reports saying that LG would design such a phone, but that it won’t carry the LG branding. Nothing is set in stone until such a phone is actually announced.
LG’s patent shows a phone with a folded display
The patent application reveals a different design compared to Samsung’s foldable phones. The LG model would have an upper part of the display folded, while producing a very “tall” smartphone when unfolded. Whether LG settled for this design or is considering other options is unknown at this point.
LG’s G Flex had a quite interesting design, with a curved screen at the top and bottom. Its flexible OLED display allowed the device to not break under pressure. If it were to develop a foldable phone, LG would most likely go with OLED screens as they can be folded in half.
Recent reports have said that many smartphone manufacturers are rushing to be the first to announce foldable phones on the market. Samsung’s Galaxy X phones are expected to arrive in H1 2018 when the company might initially roll out 100,000 units of the Galaxy X to test market reaction.
