New patent shows hinge design created for a new phone

Dec 15, 2017 07:25 GMT  ·  By

We are yet to find out if Microsoft still wants to launch a Surface Phone or not, but patents that surface every once in a while reveal some brilliant ideas that the company had in mind for such a device.

One such example is the recently-discovered patent for a so-called self-regulating hinge, which would basically enable the new form factor that the Surface Phone has been rumored to embrace.

With two different screens that would seamlessly become one thanks to this revolutionary hinge, the Surface Phone could play the role of more than just a smartphone, an idea that seems to come in line with Microsoft’s approach for the Surface lineup.

Keyboard and tablet mode

For example, one of the drawings included in the patent docs shows the Surface Phone being used with a keyboard like a smaller notebook, while another one imagines some sort of alarm clock form factor that could also double as a tablet.

For tech savvy users, the patent describes a “pair of self-regulating hinge assemblies rotatably securing hinge ends of the first and second portions around a first hinge axis associated with the first portion and a second hinge axis associated with the second hinge axis so that an extent of rotation around the first hinge axis corresponds to an extent of rotation around the second hinge axis.”

While Microsoft hasn’t dropped any hint of a Surface Phone, the company is believed to be working on a new mobile device that would use a Courier-like form factor with more advanced capabilities, including LTE.

But even if this device indeed gets the green light, it won’t be a smartphone per se, and run the full version of Windows 10, possibly with an ARM chip. This means that Windows 10 Mobile as we know it is pretty much dead, with Microsoft itself acknowledging that no big software updates and hardware are planned right now.

Photo Gallery (5 Images)

Hinge design patent drawing
Hinge design patent drawingHinge design patent drawing
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