Samsung’s latest patent shows off its wraparound display concept

While working on foldable technology for its portable devices, Samsung has explored many different designs, from hinged tablets that fold into a smartphone to outright bendable displays. Its latest patent, however, forgoes the option to physically manipulate the display in favour of wrapping it around the device.

The patent for this “display device” was accompanied by ten concept drawings that depict a smartphone-like handset with a screen that extends around the device’s right-hand side, continuing onto what looks like a screen half the size on its rear.

In the diagrams, the solid lines represent core aspects of the design or its ‘claimed features’, while the broken, jotted lines “represent unclaimed portions of the display device only and form no part of the claimed design.” This is done to give some fluidity to the design process, as patents often take a while to get approved.

Case in point, this patent was filed by Samsung to the US Patent and Trademark Office back in early September 2016, only to get approved on December 12th 2017.

This patent could hint at another upcoming smartphone design, but patents are often a way of exploring new territory while ensuring your competition doesn’t undercut you. That being said, other companies such as Apple and LG are also experimenting with wraparound display technology, so we could see more of it in the future. For now, though, Samsung will have already confirmed its upcoming 2019 Galaxy range of devices so we won’t see it any time soon.

KitGuru Says: Considering the way in which flagship designs have gone, I don’t think that the thicker bezels would fare well among consumers. Plus, I struggle to see how useful it would be, how it wouldn’t become annoying with accidental touches or even just how much more fragile handsets would become. Do you like the idea of a wraparound screen?

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