The smartphone industry is no stranger to rollable smartphones, with TCL and OPPO showcasing the technology in their concept devices. Samsung knows a thing or two about rollable screens, too, as it demonstrated its rollable OLED TVs not too long ago and . Now, a new patent application sheds light on what could be Samsung's first-ever rollable smartphone.
We've come across a similar Samsung patent not too long ago, but this one has a lot more information in it. LetsGoDigital partnered up with a concept artist to create some stunning renders of Samsung's first rollable smartphone. In the illustration above, we can see a Samsung phone with a display that extends outwards, similar to what we've seen with the OPPO X 2021. One can increase the screen size by up to 50%, effectively putting it in ‘tablet mode'.
In its extended state, the screen is effectively left hanging, as the chassis does not support it anymore. Thankfully, the screen has quite some heft to it, due to a secondary frame that supports it. Therefore, it should be able to hold its own for most daily use cases. One could even potentially use an S Pen on the screen without having to worry about flex.
Setting it down on a flat surface will be a headache, though, as the two uneven screens will cause the phone to wobble. Samsung also plans on using multi-link hinge structures and elastic materials films to smoothen the transition between the folded and unfolded state, which will work in tandem with the roller.
Among other things, the mystery Samsung rollable smartphone will also pack three rear camera modules and an under-display selfie camera. Users will be able to extend and retract the smartphone's display via a dedicated toggle in the system UI. While the smartphone looks good on paper, it is unlikely to hit shelves anytime soon.
Companies often file patents years (or even decades) in advance to mitigate the risk of future legislation. While Samsung may have the technological know-how about how to create a rollable smartphone, it doesn't necessarily mean that there will be one in the market soon, even though there have been some indirect hints.
Besides, all the rollable smartphones on the market exist as concept devices, inaccessible to the average consumer. At best, we'll get a tech demo in the next year or so, which is about as good as it gets for rollable smartphones. Nonetheless, Samsung's take on them should be one to watch out for.
