The curtains of 2018 are almost closed, soon the mobile industry will see a new year with a bunch of new releases, next big things and so on. Still, there’s one particular company that is still lacking in this segment. We are talking about Microsoft, that hasn’t released a single smartphone since February 2016. Still, that doesn’t mean that the company isn’t preparing a comeback after the Windows Phone fiasco, and a new patent has surfaced today teasing a new foldable smartphone concept.
That’s not the first patent that hints an upcoming foldable smartphone from Microsoft, and it won’t be the last. The patent in question was filed back in February 2017 and was published earlier today. It basically describes a smartphone with two displays and a hinge that allows it to be completely folded. The hinge mechanism also includes a lock which activates when the dedicated lock button is pressed. This allows the users to use the device in a single position permanently, something that may be very useful and convenient depending on the situation.
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One of the display portions can be used as a kickstand, or alternatively, users could choose to hold the device at a 90-degree angle, allowing the upper portion to be used for viewing while the lower area as a keyboard, in a perfect “laptop mode.” When the device isn’t in use, it can be half-folded and locked in that position, thus allowing the user to fit it in the pocket.
Since this is just another patent, there’s no guarantee that Microsoft will release a device that matches the entire description. Considering the patent age of nearly two years, the Redmond company could have changed a lot of stuff in this device. Of course, the company is indeed working on a foldable device with the “Andromeda” moniker. Since the next year will be marked as the year of “folding smartphones” we can’t see a reason for Microsoft delaying, even more, its return to this segment.