Form-factor innovation has been one of the biggest missing ingredients in the smartphone industry for years. But thanks to companies like Samsung, Motorola, Huawei and more, at least we have phones that flip and fold. Now, a new Samsung patent has hinted at another possible direction for the future of smartphone design.
Serial patent hunters LetsGoDigital has dug up a new patent that Samsung filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USTPO). The application is titled "Portable terminal and icon arranging method" and was published on January 23, 2020. It has also been included in the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) database.
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What it shows is a very unique design for a Samsung phone with a rounded display on both ends. It reminds us of a Sony PSP. Just replace the panelling and controls on the side with a display and that's basically what this Samsung phone looks like. Perhaps, you could also call it a modern Nokia N-Gage given that the curved sides look like they could house controls for playing games.
As you can see, the screen runs all the way around the phone, with minimal bezels that could house a selfie camera. The patent application suggests three display parts have been used — one main screen and two sub-displays on the top and bottom.
The sub-displays are said to feature touch controls. They can apparently show different types of content such as app icons, battery indicator, calls, network signal, and more.
For example, if you are watching a video, you can adjust the volume from one of the sub displays and have playback controls on the other. This has been depicted in the image above.
LetGoDigital reports that the device also allows users to move icons from the top to the bottom sub-display and vice-versa.
Related: Xiaomi patent shows of Razr-style foldable phone
If you ask me, I actually like the look of this patented Samsung phone. Whether Samsung will ever make it is another matter as most tech companies file countless patents that never see the light of day.
What are your thoughts on this unique Samsung smartphone patent? Do you like it or do you hate it? Let us know in the comments section below.
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