Microsoft It did not get the expected success with its Android-powered Surface duo-series Smartphones. The company has discontinued the lineup after the Duo 2. However, this does not mean that the company has stopped trying.
a new one Patent application Filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office on February 29, the company reveals that it is working on another foldable or dual-display mobile device. The patent application describes the concept of a foldable smartphone with the company’s single hinge technology called the “spine cover plate”. “.
Other Microsoft smartphones may feature a design similar to the Galaxy Z Fold
According to the patent application, the phone could feature a “flexible display” in a bookstyle design similar to the Galaxy Z Fold Dis. However, the entire focus is on the spine cover plate mechanism which is intended to protect the device’s single-hinge system by covering the structural element.
The difference between the regular hinge and Microsoft’s design is that the spine cover adjusts automatically when opening and closing the phone to prevent any unnecessary gaps around the hinge to protect it from dust and water. Currently, Samsung’s designs offer an IPX8 rating which makes their foldables only water resistant.
The patent further mentions that the new hinge mechanism could allow Microsoft to eliminate hinge creases that are less visible than current options available on the market.
Furthermore, Microsoft has also mentioned technologies that can reduce the overall thickness of the foldable smartphone by allowing the spine cover plate to move closer to the hinge of the device when folded.
“By rotating the first display-supporting frame and the second display-supporting frame in a face-to-face orientation with the spine cover plate facing the central spine, the width of the folded computing device is reduced, thereby facilitating and enabling more comfortable handling of the device, such as with one hand,” Microsoft said. mentioned in the patent.
Interesting idea, but practicality is a question mark
The entire smartphone market is looking for a way to remove the foldable crease from their smartphones. Some brands have implemented a water-drop folding mechanism to minimize this, but there’s nothing like a crease-free fold. Apart from this, the durability part of the foldable is also important considering all the moving parts in these phones.
That said, adding another layer or movable part on top of the entire foldable mechanism doesn’t seem like a smart move, despite the added benefits and durability, Microsoft explained in the patent application.