Handset makers are free to make handsets in whatever design they choose, but of course the software also needs to support such a design to begin with, which is why when notched displays in smartphones started becoming more popular, Google announced that Android would support notched displays.Now that we’re starting to see more companies announce plans for foldable smartphones, it looks like Google wants to get ahead of that and during the 2018 Android Dev Summit, Google’s VP of engineering Dave Burke announced that Android would be support foldable devices, which Google believes will offer what they are calling “screen continuity”.
According to Google, “For example, you might start a video on the folded, smaller screen while on the go, but later sit down and want a more immersive experience. You can simply unfold the device to get a larger tablet-sized screen. As you unfold, the app seamlessly transfers to the bigger screen without missing a beat.”
What’s interesting is that if you have been following Android’s development history, at one point in time Google actually created a version of Android specifically for tablets, before unifying the platform. That being said, 2019 could prove to be an interesting year for our mobile devices as Lenovo is said to be developing a foldable tablet, while LG is also expected to debut their own foldable smartphone at CES 2019, and Huawei has also confirmed their plans for their own foldable devices.