Samsung is the leading foldable smartphone brand. The company will continue to enjoy this status for the time being. To keep up with the competition, the firm needs to innovate. Hence, like any other company, it is also known for patenting various phone designs and technology every now and then. One such patent has now emerged showcasing both foldable and rollable form factors in a single device.

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According to 91Mobiles, Samsung filed a unique smartphone design patent with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) in June 2021. This design incorporates a foldable as well as a rollable in one phone.

As mentioned earlier, Samsung is well-known for its foldables, however, the company is yet to release any rollable. In fact, there’s not a single commercial rollable smartphone from any brand.

However, like others, Samsung has also been filing design patents for this new form factor. But this is the first time any company has ever clubbed both foldable and rollable into one.

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Per the patent description, the design is of an ‘electronic device capable of folding and sliding operations’. Users can slide the display of this handset based on requirement and can fold it at an inclined angle. The screen can be folded even when it is not rolled out.

Unfortunately, not much is known about this design patent except that it uses a hinge and a motor to fold and roll respectively.

As of now, we don’t think Samsung will ever launch a commercial product with this design anytime soon. But we cannot rule out the possibility in the future.

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Samsung is known for many innovative smartphones. The company’s Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ were the first mainstream phones to come with a variable aperture camera. The firm’s new utility patent demonstrates a new solution, which not only enables variable FoV (Field of View) but also variable aperture.

According to a report by LetsGoDigital, Samsung Electro-Mechanics filed a utility patent titled ‘Camera module and portable electronic device including the same’ with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in October 2020. The 19-page documentation for this patent was initially released on August 5, 2021.

According to the documentation, the patent uses multiple cameras that can move. Their movement helps in achieving variable FoV (Field of View) and variable aperture.

The patent sketches and images use a triple camera setup consisting of a wide-angle snapper, an ultra-wide unit, and a telephoto shooter. Users can move these cameras via touch input.

As per the example, when the wide-angle camera present in the middle moves downwards, the ultra-wide and telephoto cameras on the left and the right respectively slide inwards forming a triangle.

When the cameras are in a triangular shape, the aperture is narrow. This can be useful for landscape shots. Whereas, when the cameras are in a single line, the aperture is wide, which is useful for portrait photography. On top of this, the movement also changes FoV (Field of View).

We don’t think Samsung will ever release a mainstream smartphone with this tech. But maybe there could be a niche Galaxy smartphone with movable cameras in the future like the Galaxy A80 from 2019.

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When it comes to smartphone innovation, OPPO has been at the forefront with a bunch of new introductions and patents from the Chinese brand. And the patents and announcements don’t seem to stop. We have already seen OPPO X 2021, OPPO rollable concept phone, and now, the company has filed a new patent for a dual-sided smartphone with a Wrap-Around display. 

OPPO has filed a patent with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) with documentation called ‘Method for assembling and disassembling electronic equipment’. It elaborates on the assembling and disassembling methods of such dual-sided flexible screens. 

A quick look at the patent, and we can see the schematics of the phone, with thin bezels and sharp corners. The schematics do give us an idea of how it might look, but the concept images shared by LetsGoDigital give us a better idea of how the design would look when materialized.  

Jermaine Smit, the guy behind Concept Creator has collaborated with the folks at LetsGoDigital. The concept renders by him looks very interesting. As mentioned earlier, the device has super-thin bezels and the left side has the display flowing towards the back. Although the display is extended and wrapped around it isn’t curved, rather it is sharp and has a cutting edge design.

OPPO is said to be using an ultra-thin steel plate between the display and the frame which allows them to place relatively thin screens.  

Moving to the rear, the renders show the rear camera setup. It has four sensors and an LED flash beneath the lenses. As it is a full-screen phone with a display wrapped around it, we can say that the rear camera can be used as a selfie sensor by looking at the extended display as a viewfinder.  

With only the screen on one side, the volume rockers have been placed on the very right edge if you have a look at the phone from the front.  

Other than this, we have also seen something similar from Huawei in the past. The Chinese smartphone giant had patented a dual-sided phone with a similar wrap-around display back in 2020. The one major difference in Huawei’s patent was it had curved edges instead of sharp ones like this OPPO patent. In case you missed it, we’ve already seen a device in real life with a wrap-around display — the Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha. 

As it is just in the patent stage, we have to wait and see if this design materializes into a real smartphone in the coming years.

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Earlier today (17th March 2021), Xiaomi announced that the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) had released its results of the 2020 international registration of patents, trademarks and industrial designs. In this report, it was revealed that the smartphone maker arrives first in China and fifth worldwide for the total number of design patents awarded.

According to the WIPO report (Via ITHome), the registration results of the International Design System found that the number of Chinese companies in the listing increased by 22.7 percent. Out of which, 516 design registrations were awarded to Xiaomi. this had the company arrived first in its home country and fifth globally. Furthermore, the report also found that as of March 2021, the Chinese tech giant and its ecosystem have won more than 600 international and domestic design awards as well.

Meanwhile, South Korean consumer electronics maker, Samsung, topped the list in the Hague filers for the fourth consecutive year as it was awarded with 859 designs in published applications; the brand was followed by Procter & Gamble of the US and (623), Fonkel Meubelmarketing of the Netherlands (569), Volkswagen of Germany (524). Additionally, China remained the largest user of WIPO’s PCT System, with 68,720 applications, marking a 16.1 percent year on year growth. This was followed by the US with 59,230 applications, and Japan with 50,520 applications.

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Smartphones come with minimal bezels these days. Hence, the front-facing camera is either placed in a notch or a punch-hole. Future phones are even expected to come with an under-display camera. But OnePlus had recently patented a smartphone design with a long-forgotten selfie camera solution.

OnePlus Technology (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd. filed a patent with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) in mid-2020 titled ‘display apparatus’. This patent got approved and published on February 4, 2021. 

As usual, it was first spotted by LetsGoDigital and the publication even created a beautiful render for it based on the design of the upcoming OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro.

According to the patent documentation, this smartphone design includes the front-facing camera in the top thin bezel. Hence, users will not be distracted like on phones with notch and punch hole.

Also, the patent’s paperwork notes that this solution is inexpensive than digging a hole in the display panel. Because the production costs are low, while the yield and reliability are high. Hence, it could be a better alternative to not only notches and punch holes but also under-display tech.

As of now, we cannot say for sure whether OnePlus will be releasing a smartphone with this type of selfie camera placement. But there’s a possibility as in-screen camera solutions have their own set of pros and cons, in addition to being expensive.

Last but not least, it is worth noting that Meizu had already used a similar design for Meizu 16s Pro and Meizu 16T. However, the bezels were slightly thicker than this design patent.

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There have been multiple 3D smartphones in the past, however, none of them took off. Hence, major companies did not try investing in it. But now, out of the blue, Xiaomi has patented a design for such a handset.

According to LetsGoDigital, Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software applied for this design patent with The Hague International Design Bulletin, part of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) last month (January 2021). But surprisingly, the application for this patent was approved within a month and its documentation was published on February 5, 2021.

The design showcases a smartphone with no notch, punch-hole, or pop-up module. Hence, it could feature an under-display camera. Further, on the back, the device houses a total of four cameras, one on each corner.

Whereas, the right side includes a power key along with a volume rocker and the left side features a SIM card slot. Lastly, the bottom of the handset houses a USB Type-C port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and holes for a speaker as well as a microphone.

As far as those four cameras are concerned, they can be used for 3D photography and videography. Like we mentioned in the beginning, there were many phones in the past like HTC Evo 3D and LG Optimus 3D with similar functionalities. But they did not succeed. In fact, 3D has been now replaced by AR and VR in entertainment.

Therefore, we don’t see Xiaomi launching a 3D smartphone in the near future.

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Xiaomi is known for launching out of the world concept phones and patenting weird designs. The company has done the former through the Mi Mix Alpha and the latter via n-number of patents. For instance, we recently saw a smartphone design with a detachable camera layout. Today, yet another patent appears online and this time it’s the wrap-around display, again.

Xiaomi is not new to patenting smartphone designs with a surround display. The latest patent, which was applied by Xiaomi and approved by WIPO’s Hague International Design System, also has one. LetsGoDigital has unearthed this patent, and as it says, the design is reminiscent of an older patent.

If you recall, one of the company’s patents having a surround display with a pop-up camera at the top got published recently. Well, this one seems to have similar schematics but the difference is a display with a notch. That is, this design doesn’t have any mechanical parts but has a wide notch in the front to accommodate selfie shooters and sensors.

At the bottom, everything from Speaker, Primary Microphone, 3.5mm audio jack, Type-C port placements are the same. However, at the top, the pop-up is missing(obviously) and the power key and secondary mic are at the left instead of the right. The display, which wraps around the device, has a notch like the recent iPhones.

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It’s worth noting that the 3D renders show that the selfie arrangement is projecting slightly up(Model 2 from Image) from the display area. While the reason is unknown, this could just be to keep the phone slimmer or maybe grab the energy of the impact when fallen upright down. Either way, these are just speculations from my side.

Considering the Mi Mix Alpha didn’t even enter mass production, we can’t expect this to debut as a commercial design anytime soon. Meanwhile, Xiaomi is finally figuring out to launch a foldable device in 2021.

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Before punch-hole displays became mainstream in the smartphone industry, we had phones with pop-up cameras, in addition to devices with various types of notches. However, Samsung did not release a single pop-up camera handset but did launch a rotating camera mobile called Galaxy A80. But now, the company has patented a unique pop-up camera module for smartphones.

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According to LetsGoDigital, Samsung Electronics filed a patent titled ‘Electronic device including camera module’ with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) in mid-2020. This patent got approved and published on January 14.

This design patent demonstrates a rotatable pop-up camera module. According to the documentation, the module may house at least three cameras. In the normal state, all these sensors will face backward.

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung confirms it’s got rollable and slidable displays in the works

But in the selfie mode and video calls, this cylindrical module will rotate to face the front and will slightly pop-up out of the phone’s body to expose a single sensor at the top. The documentation also mentions an option to disclose the second sensor as well by rising the module even further.

This system uses a motor, two gears, and a long propeller shaft. It also includes a movable frame that shifts to the void place when the camera module rises. This frame house a flexible printed circuit board.

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Having said that, we don’t expect Samsung to release a commercial smartphone with this solution. Because it sounds more fragile than the regular pop-up camera system. That said, the above renders are created by Jermaine Smit (Concept Creator) for LetsGoDigital.

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Xiaomi’s Mi MIX series is known for its bezel-less design. Unfortunately, the company has not released a new model in a very long time. However, it has patented a wide variety of devices with full-screen design in the past few months. Now, yet another new design emerges with a unique slider display implementation.

As usual, this Xiaomi patent was first spotted by LetsGoDigtial. As per the publication, Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software filed this patent with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) and the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office). It got approved and published on October 29, 2020.

According to the documentation, this design includes a slider display similar to the Mi MIX 3 5G. But unlike that phone, this handset’s display covers the front and runs along the bottom side up until half of its back.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi patents a smartphone design with surround display and pop-up cameras

Hence, the only places without a screen on this design are the top, sides, and the top portion of the rear panel. This design is somewhat similar to the Xiaomi AI Super Camera smartphone patent from last year but with a magnetic slider.

Since this design’s display continues from the front to the back from the bottom side, it uses a roller mechanism inside the slider to slide down the front panel to reveal the selfie camera, an ambient light sensor, a distance sensor, a dot projector, and the receiver. This slider can also be moved by voice command.

In other words, this new Xiaomi patent is a combination of slider, rollable, and full-screen smartphone. That said, we don’t think the Chinese smartphone maker will ever release such a device for the commercial market but it may showcase it as a concept like the Mi MIX Alpha.

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Lastly, the renders included in this article are created by an industrial designer called Sarang Sheth, in collaboration with LetsGoDigtial. Also, it is worth noting that the rear camera setup from the Mi 10T Pro is just for reference.

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Recently, Xiaomi patented a wide variety of foldable smartphone designs. Now, another innovative patent by the company has emerged. This one is related to a unique pop-up camera module, which can be used to capture both regular and selfie pictures/videos.

Xiaomi has patented many pop-up camera designs before. But this new design, filed by Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software with the USPTO (United States and Trademark Office) and the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office), is unlike any other. As per LetsGoDigital, the company calls it ‘Electronic device and concealed camera’ and it was approved on January 7, 2021.

This pop-up camera module is different than others as the sensors inside the module face upwards instead of sideways. Because it uses an adjustable reflective mirror to capture and record videos.

Due to the versatility of the reflective mirror with a help of a motor, the same camera sensors can be used to click both standard and selfie images/videos. Additionally, users can adjust the mirror as required to click pictures or record videos, which is not possible on traditional camera setup on regular smartphones.

That said, we don’t see Xiaomi implementing this tech in a commercial smartphone. That’s because it is planning to launch under-display camera smartphones in the near future. However, the firm could use this pop-up camera in a concept device.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi patents a rollable smartphone design with a secondary display

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Last year, Xiaomi shocked the world by unveiling Mi MIX Alpha, a concept smartphone with a surround display. This device never made into mas-production and therefore, it did not hit the shelves although the company had plans to sell this phone in a limited quantity in China. Now, more than a year later, a Xiaomi smartphone design patent with similar looks has emerged.

This new Xiaomi patent was unearthed by LetsGoDigital. According to the publication, the company applied it with The Hague Bulletin, part of the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office). The documentation for the same got published on December 18, 2020.

These documents include 16 sketches detailing the design of a smartphone with a 360° surround display. But unlike the Mi MIX Alpha, this design does not include a vertical frame on the rear. Instead, it features a wide pop-up module at the top housing a triple camera setup accompanied by a dual-LED flash.

The top of the handset also includes the power key and a hole for the secondary microphone. Whereas, the bottom part of the device features a USB Type-C port, a speaker grille, a primary microphone hole, and even a 3.5mm headphone jack.

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Having said that, we don’t see Xiaomi releasing a consumer phone with a such design in near future. Because the firm did not even sell the first generation product and this model comes with pop-up cameras, which all the OEMs have been avoiding now.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi patents a smartphone design with an all-around screen and a huge 108MP sensor

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Last week, it was revealed that there will be a total of four foldable smartphones from OPPO, vivo, and Xiaomi combined in the second half of 2021. It is worth noting that all these three brands are yet to debut their first foldable but they have patented various designs in the past few months. A new such patent by vivo has now emerged.

According to LetsGoDigital, Vivo Mobile Communication filed a design patent with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) in February 2020. Titled ‘Display panel and mobile terminal’, this patent got approved and published in October 2020. However, the publication seems to have found it only now and they even created 3D renders for visualization.

As per the documentation, this design features an inward folding screen that unfolds into a tablet. In other words, it is identical to Samsung Galaxy Fold and Galaxy Z Fold2. But it sports a unique hinge design with a silo for a stylus.

This silo is nothing but a gap at the folding point of the display panel. Hence, the included stylus is as long as the device and has a tip made of soft rubber material to avoid scratches on the screen. Further, It does not fall from the silo when placed inside as it remains attached magnetically. Also, the damaged part of the stylus can be replaced.

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Apart from the above-mentioned details, the patent does not say much about this design because it is only about the foldable panel and stylus. That said, vivo may utilize some part of this design in one of its upcoming foldables, however, we cannot say that for sure as companies file a wide variety of patents every now and then.

UP NEXT: Vivo study reveals that smartphone usage has risen immensely in 2020, raises concerns over mental health

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Samsung is the market leader in the foldable smartphone category. The Galaxy Z Flip is the world’s best setting foldable handset. Its successor is reported to launch in spring 2021. Ahead of it, the company has patented a design for a similar phone with improvements.

According to LetsGoDigital, Samsung Electronics filed a design patent titled ‘Foldable electronic device’ with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) in June 2020. After its approval, the documentation for this patent got published on December 10.

The clamshell foldable smartphone in this design patent is similar to the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Flip 5G but with a larger cover display, more cameras, and a better hinge. Hence, we can expect the same elements in the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 2.

The cover display in this design is located at the center like on the Motorola razr 5G but it seems to be comparatively smaller. Anyway, it is larger than the tiny screen present in the current-gen Galaxy Z Flip.

Further, it features a triple camera setup instead of a dual-camera module along with an LED flash. Interestingly, there’s no punch-hole camera in the inner display. It looks like one of those circular things on the top bezel could be for the front-facing camera.

Lastly, but most importantly, this design sports a redesigned hinge that not only supports Flex Mode but also shuts the phone with zero-gap.

UP NEXT: Google, OPPO, Vivo and Xiaomi to launch foldable phones in 2021

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Last month, OPPO X 2021 was unveiled as the world’s first rollable concept smartphone. On the other hand, LG has also confirmed to release such a device next year as part of its ‘Explorer Project’. Now, a Xiaomi smartphone design patent with a similar form factor has been published.

Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software filed this patent with the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) at the end of 2019. The patent titled ‘Terminal with flexible screen’ later got approved on October 29, 2020, and even got published in the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) database.

According to patent documents, this smartphone design includes a rollable flexible panel and a secondary normal display at the back. The rollable screen present in this phone can be extended by up to 200% in width. Therefore, the device can be also used as a tablet.

EDITOR’S PICK: Xiaomi and Redmi to launch two flagship models with Snapdragon 888 SoC each

Also, the documents say that these displays will be activated based on what side of the phone is facing the user like Microsoft Surface Duo. However, it also has an option to use both the screens at the same time.

Further, since the patent is all about the user experience and durability, the design sketches do not showcase anything else. Hence, LetsGoDigital, the publication that found this patent partnered with Concept Creator (Jermaine Smit) to create 3D renders.

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Since the original sketches are barebone, the designer has added a vertically aligned triple camera setup along with an LED flash inspired by Mi Mix Alpha. Additionally, the renders also include the ‘Xiaomi’ branding.

Having said that, we think that there’s a probability of Xiaomi showcasing such a smartphone as a concept. But we are not sure if it will ever end up in consumer’s hands.

UP NEXT: Xiaomi aims to overtake Huawei and Apple next year with 240 million smartphone shipments

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Lately, OPPO has been filing patents for a wide variety of smartphone designs. It even showcased the world’s first rollable concept smartphone last month in the form of OPPO X 2021. Now, a new design patent by the company imagines a smartphone with a detachable camera module.

This patent was filed by Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization). We are not sure who found it first but 91Mobiles did not mention the filing and publication times of this patent.

Talking about the design, the phone used in the sketches seem to be generic with no notch or punch-hole on the front. Perhaps, it may have an under-display camera. But then again, there are no physical buttons or ports as well. Hence, we believe that it is indeed for illustration only.

EDITOR’S PICK: OPPO patents Unique Foldable Smartphone designs with a weird Block structure

Anyway, the main aspect of this patent is the detachable camera module located at the back. This module houses a dual-camera setup along with an LED flash and it connects with the phone via USB Type-C.

The connector port on this module can be adjusted up to 90° and therefore, the rear camera setup can also be used for selfies and video calls. In other words, it is similar to ASUS Zenfone 6 and Zenfone 7/7Pro but the camera module can be detached as well as replaced with a different supported module with another set of cameras.

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Having said that, we don’t expect OPPO to release a commercial smartphone with this design. Because many others have tried modularity on mobile phones and have failed terribly.

UP NEXT: OPPO patents a smartphone design with circular pop-up camera module and 15x hybrid zoom

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Recently, Huawei patented two foldable smartphone designs similar to the Galaxy Z Fold2 and Galaxy Z Flip. Now, another patent by the Chinese telecom giant imagines a complex hinge structure for foldable devices with the clamshell form factor.

This newly spotted foldable smartphone hinge design patent was filed by Huawei Technologies with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) on April 16, 2019. However, it got approved and published only on October 22, 2020. That means this patent is older than the other two foldable designs by the company. 

That said, this particular patent was first unearthed by WindowsUnited. We later confirmed it via Incopat and found its number to be WO2020210987A1.

EDITOR’S PICK: Huawei contributed over 220k jobs & paid over €6.6 bn in tax in Europe last year

The document for this patent goes into detail about a complex hinge design. In a nutshell, this design is meant to avoid creases, which is one of the many cons of current-gen foldable handsets. It achieves this by using a modular design. 

With this hinge design, the OLED panel contracts and expands when the phone is shut and opened like on the Motorola razr and razr 5G. In other words, the screen is not completely folded when the device is closed. If implemented, this hinge design can provide a crease-free foldable smartphone experience.

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Having said that, Huawei’s diagrams showcase this hinge in a clamshell form factor. Hence, we don’t think the same hinge design can be implemented in foldables that unfold into a tablet.

UP NEXT: Huawei engineer explains advantages of Mate 40 Pro’s Free Form lens

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Samsung Electronics is ahead of any other company in terms of foldable smartphones. To stay ahead of the competition, the South Korean tech behemoth has been patenting foldable devices in various sizes and forms. Just last week, a patent filed by the firm’s sister company Samsung Display was unearthed by LetsGoDigital. Now, the publication has spotted another patent filed by Samsung Electronics.

Foldable smartphones are said to be the next big thing in consumer electronics. They are already here but are out of reach for most people. Thankfully, they are expected to get cheaper in the coming years as the tech matures. In the meantime, companies like Samsung will continue to patent new designs.

The newly spotted foldable design patent was filed by Samsung Electronics with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) in April. It got approved and published on October 15 titled ‘Foldable electronic device including a plurality of camera modules’.

EDITOR’S PICK: Samsung patents hideaway hinge with LED indicators for foldables

The patent includes three different designs – two with an outward folding screen like the HUAWEI Mate Xs and one with an inward folding screen like the Galaxy Z Fold2. 

However, all three of them have a cutout on the front display so that the cameras present inside can be used even when the phone is closed. Hence, the title includes the term plurality of camera modules.

Anyway, we don’t see Samsung ever implementing this design in a commercial product. The current-gen devices have already moved on to punch-holes. The notch on the original Galaxy Fold offers a less immersive experience and has app compatibility issues.

Since these newly patented designs also have to make a similar compromise with the display like on the company’s first commercially available foldable smartphone, we don’t think Samsung will ever implement them.

UP NEXT: OPPO files a utility patent for clamshell foldable smartphone hinge

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Samsung is the leading player in the foldable smartphone category. The latest foldable from the company is Galaxy Z Fold2. This device is also set to launch as a China-exclusive limited edition Galaxy W21. Ahead of it, a utility patent regarding LED indicators in foldables filed by the South Korean tech giant has been published.

Samsung filed a utility patent for a hideaway hinge with LED indicators with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in March using Galaxy Z Fold2 as a reference. However, this patent was only approved and published on October 1.

It was unearthed by none other than LetsGoDigital. The publication also created 3D renders showcasing the patent in action.

According to the documents, if this patent is ever utilized in a foldable smartphone, that device will come with a six LED module hidden inside its hinge. These red, blue, green and white lights will be covered by a translucent layer to diffuse their rays.

EDITOR’S PICK: Explained: Under Display Cameras & its Application with the CEO of OTI Lumionics

As per the patent, the above-mentioned four different-colored lights can be used to form more combinations. Talking about their use case, like most LED strip on smartphones, they are merely meant for notifications and aesthetics.

The Galaxy Z series of foldable phones are premium consumer products. These lights make them look fancy, which is not ideal for everyone. Hence, we don’t think Samsung to introduce this as a feature in its next foldable.

That doesn’t mean the company may never use it. As foldable devices become more durable and affordable in the future, the South Korean tech giant could implement it in a separate foldable gaming smartphone series.

Right now, all we can say is Samsung has patented this utility purely to secure this idea.

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Electronics companies around the world are looking to introduce foldable smartphones. So far, only four companies have managed to achieve this feat and they are Samsung, Huawei, Motorola, and Royole. On the other hand, the remaining popular smartphone makers have been applying for patents related to this tech for the past few quarters. One of those companies is OPPO and it has applied for one more.

Chinese smartphone maker OPPO is known for its SuperVOOC fast charging technology and uniquely designed phones. But the company is yet to release a foldable smartphone. Anyway, it has been patenting design for such devices for a while now. Hence, we can expect the company to soon launch a commercial foldable smartphone.

That said, the new patent filed by Guangdong Oppo Mobile Telecommunications with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) is a utility patent for hinge and not design like the company’s previous foldable patents. 

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This patent was filed by OPPO in February but was only approved and published on September 3. As usual, the documents for this patent was unearthed by none other than LetsGoDigital and the publication even imagined the final design of a smartphone with this hinge in 3D renders.

According to the patent diagrams and documents, this hinge is wider than any other hinge present in currently available foldable smartphones. It features a pair of rotatable cover plates coupled to the support plate to mitigate the length between the screen and the housing while folding and unfolding.

This hinge also allows the users to fix the display of the phone at four points – 30°, 60°, 90°, and 190° respectively. Since this hinge is meant for clamshell foldable, we cam imagine use cases like Flex Mode on Galaxy Z Flip.

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Interestingly, one of the documents also mentions that this hinge will enable crease-free display experience, which is a bold claim. Anway, patents are patents and not all come into fruition. Hopefully, this one does.

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The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) recently released data for patent filings in 2019 which shows that Huawei was the top patent filer in the corporate category. Huawei has also at different times bragged about its huge R&D investment. The Chinese tech giant has once again filed a new patent for extendable smartphone design. The patent was filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) and was discovered in WIPO’s global design database.

The sketches which have been rendered by LetsGoDigital shows the phone will adopt a foldable panel just like the Mate X and Mate Xs. However, instead of an in-folding design, the new patented model has a pull-out display design.

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Huawei exhibited two different design styles which are described and illustrated by several images. The first model (Model A) has a significantly smaller pull-out display than the Model B. It features a bezel-less design and the flexible screen can be extended from the right side to the rear with a simple swipe of the finger. There is a vertical trim at the back which houses a triple camera setup. There is no indication of a front camera. You may have to just turn the phone over to take self-portraits with the main camera. The extension increases the display area by 30% on the model A.

For the second model, Huawei implements a different type of sliding system. This change sees the triple camera setup located on the left rear side instead of the right side. The flexible display also extends from the left. The extended part will be a lot thinner on the right side considering that the left side houses the rear sensors. With this design, the display area may be increased up to 50% on the second design. However, in terms of practicality, the first design looks better.

We must point out that this isn’t the first of such extendable design that has been patented. Samsung, LG, Xiaomi and even TCL have at different times filed patents for retractable phone design. TCL even showcased a prototype of the first extendable smartphone in the world. Just like foldable design, smartphones with sliding flexible displays may meet with us in the next few years.

UP NEXT: OPPO Ace2 5G launched with Snapdragon 865, 65W Wired & 40W Fast Wireless Charging

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Are you still wondering how Huawei suddenly became a force to reckon with in the tech sector? The company has stated repeatedly that its rise is hinged on the huge investment in R&D but some are still unconvinced. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) performance report for 2019 may well provide a definitive answer. The report which was released today showed that Huawei filed a total of 4,411 patents under the international patent system (also called Patent Cooperation Treaty – PCT). This makes Huawei the top corporate filer globally.

The WIPO report also revealed another sensational news, and that is the performance of China. According to WIPO, China surpassed the United States of America (U.S.) in 2019 as the top source of international patent applications filed with WIPO. Applications from China filed using WIPO’s Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) System reached 58,990. On the other hand, the US filed 57,840 applications in the same period. This makes China the biggest user of the PCT System that helps incentivize and spread innovation.

It is worthy of note that the US had held this position each year for the past 41 years, which is since the PCT began operations in 1978. For comparison, as of 1999, WIPO received just 276 patent applications from China. But in 2019, the number of Chinese patent applications had risen to 58,990. That is a 200-fold increase in only twenty years.

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Back to the corporate patent segment, leader Huawei is followed by Mitsubishi Electric Corp. of Japan with a total of 2,661 patents. In the third position is Samsung Electronics with 2,334 patents. Qualcomm is ranked fourth with 2,127 patent applications while Oppo Mobile occupies the fifth place with 1,927 patent filings. In summary, the top 10 applicant list comprises four companies from China, two from the Republic of Korea, and one each from Germany, Japan, Sweden and the U.S. Of the top 10 applicants, six filed mainly in digital communication, namely, Ericsson, Oppo, Huawei Technologies, LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics and Qualcomm.

WIPO’s Director General Francis Gurry in his video broadcast stated, “2019 was the year that was.… Last year was the best year we have experienced in the course of the past decade. In fact, it was the best year we have experienced in the history of the Organization”.

“China’s rapid growth to become the top filer of international patent applications via WIPO underlines a long-term shift in the locus of innovation towards the East, with Asia-based applicants now accounting for more than half of all PCT applications”, the WIPO director added.

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(source)

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The ZTE Blade V10 Vita launched in February as an affordable entry-level device powered by a Unisoc processor. Going by the timeline it launched, its successor should arrive in February next year during MWC 2020. However, there is a chance the Blade V10’s successor will not launch as the Blade V11 Vita based on ZTE’s recent trademark applications.

ZTE applied for a bunch of trademarks at the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) last week and the database shows there is no device called the Blade V11 Vita. Instead, we have the Blade V12 Vita, the Blade V13 Vita and it goes on up to Blade V18 Vita. There is also no Blade V17 Vita.

It is not unusual for a manufacturer to skip a number when it comes to the naming of their products. Popular examples include OnePlus skipping the OnePlus 4 name and Samsung skipping the Galaxy Note6.

Based on the trademarks, it is safe to say the Blade V10 Vita’s successor will be the Blade V12 Vita. Its specs are unknown and may remain that way up until January 2020 but it should remain an entry-level device.

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(Source, Via)

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WIPO short for World Intellectual Property Organisation is one of the world’s largest consortium for filing and granting patents. According to a report originating from the organisation, in the year 2018, China’s application for patents reached a record 1.54 million — this number is nearly half of all the patent applications filed worldwide. Unsurprisingly, a larger share of these Chinese applications was in the field of telecommunications and computer technology.

In comparison to 2017, China’s share has increased by 11.6% which is greatly influenced by the factor of seeking patent protection from other corporations within the country. The country that comes in at number two for the most number of patents filed in 2018 is the United States. Innovators and companies from the country filed close to 600,000 patents in this year which is 1.6% less compared to the preceding year.

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Samsung already makes phones with curved displays but it has always been limited to just two sides. A publicized patent filed in November 2018 at the World Intellectual Property Organization shows the Korean phone manufacturer may want to make one with all the sides curved including the top and bottom.

Does the design sound familiar? Yes, the Honor Magic from 2016 also has all its sides curved but Samsung’s is a bit different. The major difference is the size of the bezels. Unlike the Honor Magic which has thick bezels at the top and bottom, Samsung’s phone keeps them to a minimum for a practically all-screen design.

Another difference is that Samsung hides the sensors and front-facing camera under the display. Since the display is curved and laying the camera flat will result in distorted images, the patent says the sensor is placed at an angle. There isn’t a fingerprint scanner on the back or sides which means it is also under the screen. The patent diagram shows the phone has dual rear cameras and a single button on the side.

LetsGoDigital has made 3D renders of the device to give us an idea what the phone may look like. Looking at the images, all we can say is it sure is going to be a really slippery phone although the patent says the curves will provide a firmer grip. The patent says the back which is also curved on all sides can be made of metal but knowing Samsung, Glass will probably be the material of choice.

We have no info if this will ever be released as a commercial device and even if it is, it sure will be different from what the images show as everyday usage will be considered during the design. Nevertheless, we sure will love to see a working prototype at least.

(Sources: 1, 2)

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The Samsung Galaxy A8s, Honor V20v and Huawei Nova 4 that debuted in December 2018 were the first phones to arrive with punch-hole LCD displays. The Galaxy S10 series will be equipped with AMOLED displays with punch-hole design. By the end of 2018, there was a rumor that Xiaomi could be a working on a smartphone with a punch-hole display. Now, Lets Go Digital has shared patent design of the Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software that was applied at the end of the previous month at the Global Design Database of WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office). The patent application includes 24 different designs of dual punch holes on a display.

As it can be seen in the below illustration, the new design is all about implementing two front-facing cameras on the display of a Xiaomi phone. Unlike the elliptical cutout that the upcoming Galaxy S10+ for its dual front-facing shooters, the Xiaomi phone will have two separate cutouts for the dual camera sensors.

Some design show that the second cutout be either for another camera sensor or notification LED or some other sensor. The illustrations such the different placements of the dual camera holes such as both cameras at right or left corner, both camera sensors placed separately at right and left, two pill-shaped holes positioned at both corners. One design even shows the two camera sensors placed on the rear.

• Read More: Xiaomi exec seems to have confirmed the Mi 9 will have three rear cameras

Which Xiaomi phone could be arriving with the new dual punch-hole display design? The Mi MIX series seems like a good candidate for it that since it has always featured phones with high screen-to-body ratio. The original Mi MIX, Mi MIX 2 and Mi MIX 2S came with tri-bezeless design. The Mi MIX 3 features a notch-less screen with a slider for the dual front cameras.

Since the Mi MIX 3 has two selfie cameras, the company may want to make the same feature available on the successor model. Probably, the Xiaomi Mi MIX 4 arriving around October this year could be most suitable phone to adopt the dual punch-hole display design. There could be some high-end Mi or Redmi phones with same display design in future.

Xiaomi has scheduled a media event that will take place on Feb. 24 at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. The Chinese firm is likely to announce the Mi MIX 3 5G edition. There is a possibility that the company may also showcase its first foldable phone that will be sporting dual folding design.

(via)

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A Wall Street Journal report from the previous week had claimed that Lenovo-owned Motorola will revive the yesteryear Motorola RAZR V3 clamshell phone. The smartphone is expected to debut with a foldable design and an expensive price tag. The launch date of the Motorola RAZR 2019 is yet to be finalized, but its arrival may not be far away. Folks at 91mobiles has spotted a patent filing of a Motorola phone with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Since it features a foldable design, it is believed that it could be the design of the rumored Motorola RAZR 2019 foldable phone.

In the below image, the alleged Motorola RAZR 2019 can be seen sporting a tall display along with a thick chin. At the topside of the display is a wider notch which appears to be equipped with an earpiece. It does not seem to house a selfie camera. The edges at the center area of the phone features hinges on the either sides of the screen, but they seem to be hidden under the display area which confirms that it will be sporting a foldable design.

The rear design of the Motorola RAZR 2019 is interesting since it features two halves that are joined by a hinge. The upper half features a small-sized secondary display like the original Motorola RAZR V3 phone. The small screen can be used for checking notifications for calls and messages without opening the phone to see the main display. There seems to be a camera above the second screen while it could be equipped with a fingerprint scanner on its lower half. The below image shows of the side view of the alleged Motorola RAZR 2019 clamshell flagship phone.

• Read More: Motorola P40, Moto Z4 Play design leaked through case renders

Fresh information that has surfaced from South Kore reveals that Motorola RAZR 2019 will use the folding screen solution from Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy F foldable phone. Last week’s report had revealed that the company will be manufacturing more than 200,000 units of the RAZR 2019 phone. The handset could be exclusively available in the U.S. through Verizon Wireless with a price tag of $1,500.

(source)

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It can be fairly said that 2018 was the year of the bezel-less smartphone. Now that we’re at the end of the year, we can definitely say that we’ve seen some breathtaking designs this year to phase out the bezels including the OPPO Find X and the Vivo NEX. However, there’s always some bezel left somewhere on the screen and a true 100 percent screen-to-body ratio has not been achieved still. Interestingly, a Samsung patent filing has popped up online that promises a display that wraps on all edges of a device. At least, that’s what the shoddy images presented by Samsung in the patent appear to show.

The patent published by the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) clearly shows a flexible display. It wraps on the left and right and even top and bottom leaving absolutely no trace of any bezels whatsoever. The low-quality image shows icons placed even on the edges. Unfortunately, the provided images from Samsung are too poor to make up anything and besides that, the filing is merely for a utility patent, not design. Also, this solution seems to create more questions than it answers such as the problem of edge detection, placement of vital sensors and so on. Regardless, Letsgodigital has created concept images based off of these patents and it does look stunning.

At the moment, bezel-less displays do seem to be the future as Samsung is getting ready to reveal its Galaxy S10 devices next year, however, this new patent design looks far from finished. If Samsung is working on an ultimate bezel-less phone, it is likely that we won’t see it anytime soon. For now, we’ll have to stay content with Infinity-O displays and flexible OLED panels.

(via, source)

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Google is keen on registering new patents with some mind-boggling technologies. This time also, Google is one step ahead as they have registered an independent Google stylus patent with WIPO. In actual, Google filed for the patent in 2016, and last week, World Intellectual Proper Organisation (WIPO) has approved it. As per the documents released with the patent, it is believed to carry a different approach for stylus’ working than the primitive strategy. The new Google Stylus is equipped with its wireless interface, memory, and processor.

Google has followed a different procedure for using Stylus. It is used to store data and further to edit it on different machines across different environments. The cross-platform approach is meaningful as it will help users to do their work across various devices without caring about the data under USI (Universal Stylus Initiative). Currently, a limited information is made available but it is clear that it can be described as an object exclusively to be used for copy-pasting.

Users can send a highlighted text from one machine to another with different means of communication. After the Pixebook Pen which came with the Pixelbook Chromebook has shown Google’s interest in the Stylus technology.

The patent also details it as an “Electronic stylus for storing credentials.” So, we can expect a mechanism which will help users to sign in into different devices quickly using Google’s Trusted Platform Module (TPM). Further, Google Stylus can store different ‘states’ like “a particular webpage,” “contents of a cache of a web browser” or “contents of an application.”

• Read More: HP Chromebook x2 Is Official With Pen Support And Detachable Keyboard

It will help to begin an era where a user will carry a pen to get access to the digital data. Also, it will bring the old times back when we used to carry a pen while going out of the house.

We can expect a new era based Stylus to launch as an independent device in the coming time.

(Via)

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