Wrap-around displays could be the future of foldable phones if mobile maker Vivo has something to do with it.
A patent spotted by LetsGoDigital suggests the Chinese tech company may add a foldable phone to its range in the near future. However, it is unlike any device we’ve seen before.
Most foldable phones have a fairly practical clamshell design, which makes the device more compact while still offering a fairly hefty screen. The Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 is a good example of this. And the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, could also offer an evolved take on this design.
But Vivo’s patent takes a different approach to foldable products with a phone with a screen that wraps around the handset itself.
Much like folding a sheet of paper, the bottom third of the screen would fold and stow against the back of the phone. The screen can then be stretched to its full length during use. Or the folded part of the screen can even act as a second screen when put in the back of the device.
The Huawei Mate X does something similar only with the screen that folds horizontally around itself, a bit like folding a book on itself.
Thanks to 91 mobiles we have a pretty good idea of what the phone would look like. Although the images have confused us a bit as to how usable the phone actually is.
It doesn’t seem like the most practical design to us, not to mention whether anyone actually needs a super long phone display.
A screen with the unique ability to extract is not the only information in the patent. The document also gives us a clear indication of what the camera array would look like on this concept phone.
The phone is said to have five diamond-shaped rear cameras, one of which is likely a periscope lens. There is no suggestion of front-facing cameras in the patent, and it appears that a headphone jack has also been dropped. USB-C port for charging is visible in the designs.
Of course, just because Vivo felt it appropriate to patent this design doesn’t necessarily mean the phone is guaranteed to be released at some point in the future. Companies often patent designs or products that for one reason or another never see the light of day.
We do expect that Vivo will one day release a foldable phone. If you can’t wait until then, why not check out our breakdown of the best foldable phones now available.