2019 will be the year of phones with hole-punch cameras integrated into the screen—yes, the notch's days are numbered—and also of the first real attempts at foldable smartphones . Samsung will be responsible for the latter, having already confirmed its device, which will undoubtedly set a significant trend in the sector. Huawei is also preparing its offering, and now we've learned that Sony doesn't intend to be left behind.
The patents of a foldable and transparent Sony!
The folks at LetsGoDigital have unearthed some unexpected Sony patent images . These reveal that the Japanese company is also considering creating a phone with a flexible screen , capable of folding down to almost half its original size.
The device would also have an extra, rather striking feature: the screen would also be transparent , a technology that we have already seen in other manufacturers when they show their TV advances, for example, but which still seems far from the smartphone segment - besides seeming not very useful at first glance.
The idea being considered, however, is to be able to use the phone on both sides , so that the information is displayed on the screen on one side or the other depending on how it detects that the phone is being held and which side is facing up.
It's important to keep in mind that this is a patent, and that doesn't mean the phone will ever be released. Often, brands try to protect an idea that they can later commercialize by licensing it to other manufacturers (and making a lot of money doing so), but this isn't a 100% guarantee that we'll ever see it become a reality.
Another detail to comment is that the phone may not have a hinge, although again we are talking about an approach that could change a lot in the face of a market launch or never even see the light of day.
Remember that Samsung announced its new phone, whose name is still unknown, at the beginning of last month. The smartphone will feature the so-called Infinity Flex Display , which allows the phone to fold and transform from a tablet format, with a screen size of about 7,3 inches , into phone mode. Mass production of the device will begin in the coming months, so if all goes well, it should be available next year, introducing a completely different concept to the world of mobile phones.
Huawei, LG, Oppo and Xiaomi have already confirmed that they are working on this type of product. We'll see how many more jump on the bandwagon in the coming months. Bets?