Smartphone companies are experimenting with a number of different solutions as we enter the era of foldable devices. The latest clue as to what the future holds comes from a vivo patent for a design that looks like a reverse Motorola StarTAC - an outward hinge at the bottom and display extending to the back panel.
The listing has appeared at CNIPA (Chinese
National Intellectual Property Administration) with sketches from all sides,
revealing vivo even plans to put five cameras (one of them with a periscope
lens) on the back in an X formation on a square island. There’s also room for
the LED flash that is a tiny strip on the right side - just like the vivo X50
Pro, for example.
Patenting this unusual design for a
foldable device does not mean vivo is close to releasing a commercial-ready
solution. Smartphone companies experiment with a number of different designs
with only a fraction of them making it to store shelves. However, it is good to
see mobile companies have no shortage of cool ideas as we move past the
increasingly boring touchscreen bars.
