It seems like foldable smartphones will be all the rage in a couple of years. Whether or not they take off in the market is another matter entirely but quite a few manufacturers are believed to be working on this form factor. ZTE was one of the first to bring one to market last year and it appears that LG might have some foldable smartphone ambitions of its own.
LG has filed a patent with the World Intellectual Property Organization which details a folding tablet and smartphone hybrid device that it has dreamt up. LG describes this device in the patent as a “mobile phone with a flexible display which can be folded in half.” If that’s not the simplest description of a foldable smartphone, I don’t know what is.
A model included in the filing showcases a foldable smartphone with a camera component on the back panel. When it’s folded, the device can display information like the time on the screen. It’s only when the device is folded out that one can presumably access all of its functionality.
It goes without saying that just because LG has patented a foldable smartphone doesn’t necessarily mean that the company is working on one. Its rival Samsung is expected to launch its much-rumored foldable smartphone at some point later this year so it won’t be surprising at all if and when LG decides to throw its hat in the ring as well.
Filed in . Read more about Foldable Smartphones and LG.