Samsung's Position and Future Plans
• Samsung is the global leader in the foldable smartphone market.
• It is expected to soon introduce a tri-fold and potentially enter the rollable smartphone space in the coming years.
• The Korean firm recently received approval for a rollable phone patent that expands vertically.
• If Samsung wants to proceed with this design in the future, it could shape the next evolution of smartphones.
The Rollable Phone Patent
• Samsung’s patent shows off a rollable phone
• Initially filed on March 28, 2023, Samsung has recently been granted a patent for a rollable device by the US Design Patent.
• The patent document includes several schematics of the device, revealing its design from all angles in its compact state.
• Thanks to the collaboration between we can now see mock-ups based on patent sketches, which gives us an appealing look of the possible rollable device.
• first glance, the device looks like the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Device Design and Appearance
• But it’s a rollable device with a compact design that expands vertically.
• As the device implements a rollable mechanism, it appears thicker than a typical Samsung device.
• We can see that the front display has relatively thin bezels, while the chin seems quite large.
Camera and Button Configuration
• As for cameras, it features a dual camera system with a flash, a similar setup to that of the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
• While the patent schematics don’t show any buttons, the unofficial mock-ups add a single button on the right side, which readers should take with a grain of salt.
Limitations of Patent Schematics
• worth noting that patent schematics only show us a brief look at a rollable device in its compact state.
• It does not include any drawings of how the device appears when fully expanded, leaving much of its design and mechanism open to speculation.
Patent Status and Product Uncertainty
• Do note that, like other big companies, Samsung also files a lot of patents.
• However, it doesn’t mean that all of them become real products.
Uncertainty of Commercialization
• The same goes for this latest rollable phone patent — there is no guarantee that the device will turn into a commercial product.
Samsung's Commitment to Innovation
• However, it shows that Samsung is serious about mobile technology innovation.
