Smartphone manufacturers are likely going to experiment with new form factors in the coming years as the high-end segment of the market continues to saturate. According to a new report, both LG and Samsung have applied for patents on smartphone design that includes dual displays, one at the front and the other at the back. Both patents have been published by the USPTO, the relevant authority in the United States.
LG is said to have applied for its patent over a year and a half earlier than Samsung but both patents were published on the same day by the USPTO. The illustrations in the patents show that Samsung and LG have thought about smartphones that could have a secondary display at the back.
Samsung’s illustration shows a device with a rear display that covers about half of the back. LG’s illustrations suggest that it has considered a dual display smartphone with a secondary display that covers the top quarter of the device. What the patents don’t mention is the kind of display that Samsung and LG envision using in this form factor.
Could the idea be similar to that of the YotaPhone which has a 5.2 inch e-ink display at the back? Or have they envisioned an implementation with a full-fledged LCD or OLED display? Such questions are never answered by patents which aren’t really indications that the device in question will be released.
So even though these patents have surfaced, there’s no saying if either Samsung or LG will ever make a smartphone with a display at the back. Samsung is working on a foldable smartphone, though.