14 DAY TRIAL // Foldable smartphones will be the next big thing in the mobile market and many companies are already working on their own versions of such devices. Recent reports say that foldable smartphones will go into mass production later this year or in early 2018.
Many tech giants are said to be working on prototypes of foldable smartphones, in a race to be the first company to release such a device on the market. However, companies are also prudent when it comes to foldable devices, as the goal is also to provide a reliable and appealing phone that works accordingly.
Therefore, smartphone makers would rather wait and properly test out their device before making a big announcement. For quite a while now, LG has been rumored to be working on a foldable device. A patent application surfaced earlier this month, revealing how a foldable LG smartphone could transform into a tablet.
LG filed two patent applications for foldable smartphones
The latest patent applications from LG carry the registration numbers US D777,13 S and US D 777,132 S, and were filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office, according to TrendyTechz, They show the same concept as the previous applications, a foldable smartphone that can transform into a tablet. The sketches that accompany the latest applications aren’t as detailed as the previous ones, but they reveal a similar concept.
Samsung is another smartphone maker that’s been working on a concept of foldable device, a smartphone that could become a full-fledged tablet. Samsung’s patents reveal a device that folds in like a book and has two sides comprised of display materials when it is closed.
Samsung’s Galaxy X has been expected to be announced for quite a while now, but the South Korean smartphone maker has taken its time with this device. Samsung also patented multiple biometric ID forms for new foldable smartphones, which would be used to authenticate the user on the phone and grant access to apps that contain sensitive information.
It’s worth noting that devices featured in patent applications don’t always make it to a commercial release and some ideas are ditched in favor of others.
