It looks like LG is looking a few steps ahead with
its rollable smartphone design. The company still hasn't come out with a
working foldable handset and here we start to see an even more advanced screen
technology that can bend in two directions.
Earlier this month, LG has filed a patent about the
rollable smartphone that we talk about. It's a bit different than the rollable
pen kind of phone we've reported a year ago. The images in the patent reveal a
full-fledged smartphone with a screen that bends in more than one direction and
has two hinges. This way the display wraps around the body of the handset. Here
are a couple of renders based on the design showed in the patents.
The patent is now live not only on WIPO (World
Intellectual Property Organization) but it's also in CNIPA (China National
Intellectual Property Administration). The concept seems really cool and it may
be just the right approach to protect the screen's integrity as you can fold it
inwards around the phone to protect it from scratches. However, this is still a
patent and there's no guarantee that the company will unveil such device or best
case scenario - it will take at least a year of development before making it
commercially available.
One thing is for sure, though - LG is making some
serious effort into bringing its foldable smartphone and the so-called
"Whale" browser is a testament for that.
