To the aspirations of Samsung (with its still mysterious Galaxy X) and LG, it seems that we also have to add the dreams and designs of Microsoft. A new patent granted on Tuesday to Windows Home shows a folding smartphone with a screen capable of closing on its own axis, similar to what the other companies just mentioned patented. In the world of smartphones, Microsoft and its Windows Mobile 10 have lost much ground against Android and iOS, and this project can improve the perception of users about the products of this brand.
By 2014 the Satya Nadella-led company had already filed a patent for the production of a folding device that would allow the user to convert a smartphone into a tablet (and vice versa), depending on whether the two parts were open or closed. We know that filing a patent does not mean automatic production of a device, but who knows if the idea of a two-use smartphone may be close for Microsoft, now that technological developments could make it possible.
Based on the patent documents, we can see the idea of this 2-in-1 smartphone. Basically, the device can have the dimensions of a real smartphone, in case it is completely closed, ready to become a larger tablet, after opening the two touch panels. Next to this would be a hinge completely covered by an OLED panel (we assume), which allows us to maintain continuity between the two devices in one position or another.
The signature of the patent is Kabir Siddiqui, name known in the headquarters of Redmond for the different stands of Surface, and also by the Camera Surface patented and manufactured by him. It is clear that this idea patented by Microsoft could be abandoned, due to its high cost of implementation. The truth is that the company must experience all possible options in the smartphone market, and a new device at conceptual level can catch the attention of a public now bored by a repetitive market.