- Samsung has filed a patent for a Xiaomi-style double-folding phone design.
- It could serve as a laptop while remaining small enough to be carried all the time.
- It is not certain that Samsung will use this in a shipping product.
Samsung’s ambitions in folding phones could go way beyond the tablet-like Galaxy Z Fold 2 or the Galaxy Z Flip Clamshell. LetsGoDigital discovered a recently published Samsung patent application in South Korea for a double-folding phone, commemorating Xiaomi’s efforts.
Although the exact mechanisms would change, the basic concept would stay the same as it was with Xiaomi: you’d have an expansive display where both ends could be collapsed to improve portability or add features. Samsung envisions using the phone like a laptop (albeit a small one) that you can fold up to carry around – possibly in your pocket.
Continue reading: The best foldable phones
Patents don’t necessarily reflect product plans, and it’s not for sure Samsung is seriously considering such a dual-folding phone. The company originally filed the patent in 2018, and Samsung’s foldable strategy has changed between then and now. If there is ever a duplicate production design, it can be vastly different from what you see here.
It could be a challenge to build something. Companies like have experimented with touch-enabled laptop-like designs that don’t usually do well, like Lenovo’s yoga book. A folding screen could change the equation, but it’s far from a guaranteed hit. Even more phone-like offerings that are similar to the Surface Duo are struggling.
Still, the application shows that Samsung has studied a wide variety of foldable designs that could be useful beyond typical phone purposes. That’s not entirely shocking. Bendable screens could not only help highlight Samsung’s mobile and display spaces, but also open up the opportunity for crossover devices that could appeal to buyers from other device categories.