Foldable phones are clearly the next big thing with
mobile tech. So far only Samsung and Huawei have showcased working devices, but
we expect other manufacturers to join as well and Sharp appears to be one of
them.
Back in 2017, the company filed a patent and it
popped-up on WIPO's (World Intellectual Property Office) database. The sketches
below depict the device's design and functionality. To get a better grasp of the
handset, the guys over at LetsGoDigital made a few 3D renders. They show a
smartphone with a tall bezel-less display that folds vertically like a standard
clamshell phone.
Interestingly, the device features a dual-hinge
design so you can fold the phone in half or make the upper part of the display
stick out a bit. This way you can quickly check for new messages and even read
them.
However, the front-facing camera is nowhere to be
found and the back features just one lens. Of course, this is a design from
2017, so it will surely change before release and by then, Sharp will likely
find enough room for more than one camera on what will undoubtedly be an
expensive handset.
Keep in mind, that not everything that we
see in patents makes it to the real world. And if it does, it could look a lot
different than in those images.
