Tired of the standard phone design? An expandable, slide-out option may be coming

By Lulu Chang February 26, 2017

samsung harman acquisition sign — Image used with permission by copyright holder

We’ve already told you about Samsung’s patent for a bendable display that could herald a new generation of flip phones, but now, it looks as though the South Korean phone maker has something else up its sleeve as well. As per information discovered by Patently Mobile, Samsung has yet another phone patent “with an expandable slide-out display so that watching TV shows, movies, and playing games could be done in wide-screen mode.”

Sure, this technically isn’t a folding phone, but it’s certainly an expandable one. By equipping a handset with a display that slides out to give you more surface area, Samsung is really catering to its users who use their mobile devices for watching videos, playing games, and other activities that require a larger screen. Of course, if you’re just sending a text or on a phone call, you don’t need a huge handset, which is why Samsung would allow you to slide part of the display back in for more basic functions.

While nothing’s official yet (remember that a patent doesn’t necessarily guarantee any manufacturing), it’s certainly interesting to see Samsung’s creativity at work. Unfortunately, we don’t know a ton about the prospective sliding phone, as design patents published by the U.S. or Foreign Patent and Trademark Offices only show off patent figures, rather than relevant information about the design itself.

All the same, it’s an exciting time for phone enthusiasts, who may soon find themselves with many more options that the standard one-screen design we’ve been stuck with for years on end. Samsung is also slated to show off a prototype of its foldable phone at Mobile World Congress 2017, so be sure to keep an eye out for that.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…

Mobile

How a tiny, fun phone changed my mind about foldables

A person folding up the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5.

That’s it: the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 has completely changed the way I feel about foldable smartphones.

When the phone was released, its advances over the Galaxy Z Flip 4 prompted me to buy it instead of upgrading my Galaxy Z Fold 4 to a Galaxy Z Fold 5, and now having returned to it after several months, I know I made the right decision. Here’s why.
Big folding phones aren’t changing enough
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 5 Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Mobile

Motorola’s cheap Razr could change folding phones forever

A person opening the Motorola Razr 40.

In all the fuss over the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, you may have forgotten Motorola also recently released some foldable phones of its own. The Motorola Razr (2023) and Motorola Razr Plus (confusingly known as the Razr 40 and Razr 40 Ultra, respectively, in the U.K.) are two flip foldables well worth your attention. But there's something special about this duo. While the Razr Plus is a flagship phone with a lot in common with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, the Razr (2023) is rumored to be something we haven't seen in a foldable yet -- a true, honest-to-god midrange phone.

While U.S. pricing and availability haven't been confirmed for Motorola's new foldable, the odds are it'll fall somewhere around the $600 to $800 price range. While not exactly an affordable phone by most metrics, it's likely to have the cheapest MSRP of any foldable sold in the U.S. to date.

Mobile

This phone may have already beat the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in a big way

A leaked render of the Oppo Find N3 Flip that shows the phone unfolded with three cameras on its front cover.

Foldable phones are getting exponentially better with each new iteration, and a new smartphone might already be outdoing the Galaxy Z Flip 5 before it even hits store shelves. According to a new leaked render, the Oppo Find N3 Flip will be outfitted with a triple-camera setup — a major step up from the dual-camera arrays that flip smartphones have been rocking for the past several years.

As shared by 91Mobiles, the Oppo Find N3 Flip will feature three cameras on its cover: a 50MP main lens, an 8MP ultrawide lens, and a 32MP telephoto lens. If the information is true, which it seems like it might be, then the Find N3 Flip will be breaking new ground for photographers who are looking to enjoy the benefits of foldable devices.