Vivo patents foldable phone that can lengthen its display
- A folding phone patent from Vivo suggests a novel use of the folding display technology.
- The device can extend the display by unfolding a screen that is wrapped around the bottom edge.
- The foldable part of the screen can also be used as a rear display.
Vivo hasn’t dipped its toes in the folding smartphone splash pool yet, but that could change. The company has filed a patent for a unique design that allows users to extend the main display as needed. Speckled by 91MobileThe patent was filed with the Chinese patent office CNIPA and describes another reinterpretation of the foldable phone.
Vivo’s example doesn’t fold in half. Instead, part of the display is wrapped around the bottom edge of the phone, but it can also be folded back to extend the front display. Dimensions are not given here, but drawings suggest that this fold-out display would add about 25% to the length of the front display.
See also: The Best Foldable Phones You Can Buy
The folding area of the display can likely be used as a secondary display on the back when stowed. As we’ve seen on other devices with rear displays, it can be used as a selfie camera screen while using any of the four main snapper. No selfie camera can be seen in the sketches, so it may be sunk under the display or missing entirely.
This design apparently has other disadvantages. Because the flexible display and hinge are at the bottom of the phone, it’s even more prone to bumps, scratches, and lint. If Vivo doesn’t use wireless charging, the USB-C port needs to be installed on top of the device, which many phone users are not used to. A long display is also a nightmare for one-handed use or those with smaller hands.
However, the advantages are also obvious. A longer ad means more content suitable for vertical viewing can fit on the ad. It would be pretty handy for Twitter or Reddit browsers. The fold-away display allows users to expand this screen if necessary. After all, such a design could allow Vivo to build a shorter, more compact smartphone that extends into a larger device. This would allow users on either side of that fence.
Load surveyIt should be noted that Vivo’s design is merely a patent application at this point and does not guarantee that it will be used on any consumer-grade device. Rumor has it that Vivo will ship a foldable smartphone with a screen made by Samsung Display in the second half of 2021. It remains unclear what design philosophy the Chinese company will adopt for this particular device.
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