A recently discovered patent relating to OnePlus has indicated that the tech company is probably working on a foldable smartphone with two hinges that can be locked by a handy slider. The three-display device seems to be the very first by OnePlus amidst the innovations that have been done in the field of foldable displays. Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi are the current front-runners in foldable display technology, while other OEMs are also making strides in the area.

The patent relates to a foldable phone with three display parts invented by Gao Yang and the patent document is captioned: Mobile terminal. It is believed that the patent document was filed in China in 2020 and was published in July 2021. It has now been included in the global repository of patents, in the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) database. The WIPO documentation has therefore given a stamp of approval and protection to OnePlus for the stated patented technology.

Some stunning renders of the OnePlus Tri-Fold smartphone, derived from the patent images have also been released by Technizo Concept. The device can be folded in different ways, providing interesting options for more User applications of the device. It can work as a large tablet apart from its operation as a smartphone. The versatile design comes with quite a few challenges, and it will be exciting to see the debut of the innovative OnePlus tri-foldable smartphone. It remains to be seen how the actual device will look, as it bears little semblance to current tri-foldable designs.

The OnePlus design really leaves much to the imagination on the multiple applications that could be deployed with the device. We expect the first foldable OnePlus smartphone in 2022 and this could come with a bang expectedly. However, the complex design of the device will warrant the resolution of several challenges due to the multiple foldable displays and the reliability of the hinges.

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(source)

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