Samsung Galaxy smartphone
- Samsung has filed a patent for a phone with a flexible pop-out display.
- The purpose of the design is to make room for a loudspeaker resonance chamber.
From foldable phones and Samsung clamshells to extreme design anomalies like the Nubia Alpha, flexible displays have led to some pretty interesting and unique smartphone form factors lately. Thanks to these flexible screens, we seem to expect more design innovations in the future. A recently filed Samsung patent apparently presents a smartphone with a flexible display that pops out of the case.
The patent revealed by LetGoDigital describes how Samsung plans to create a speaker resonance chamber in a phone. It explains that the phone has separate front and back panels. The speakers, microphones, selfie cameras and other sensors are located between the two control panels. These components are attached to the front panel and pulled out of the housing with the flexible screen.
The purpose of this design is to create additional resonance space for the speakers in the cabinet. This would help amplify the sound and make it louder, just like the effect created when you put your smartphone in an empty glass. We’ve seen similar technologies for the LG G7 ThinQ before.
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According to patent documentation, Samsung mentions using a plastic-polymer display similar to that of the original Galaxy Fold. However, since then the company has switched to ultra-thin glass technology for phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Should this design ever go into commercial use, Samsung could switch from a polymer display to a glass display.
Another notable design element of the patent is the use of a rectangular frame. This as LetsGoDigital points out is very similar to the new iPhones. We’re already seeing Samsung roll out more flat panel designs with phones like the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy S20 FE. Perhaps Samsung plans to move away from rounded smartphone designs in the future.
Before you get too excited about the prospect of such a smartphone from Samsung, you should know that this is just a patent application. There is no guarantee the company will ever commercialize this design. However, you can see this as a great example of how flexible displays could affect smartphone design in the future.