The smartphone industry has long been looking for an alternative to give users a full-front display. We have already seen phones with a pop-up camera and sliding camera. It seems Samsung does not want to follow the trend and instead aims to develop its own solution for the front camera issue. Now there’s a new patent which could be for a Samsung dual-screen smartphone.
Samsung filed the patent for the dual-screen smartphone in July 2018, but it was published only recently and first spotted by LetsGoDigital. The patent talks about a device with a tall 18.5:9 front display with no selfie camera and a smaller screen on the back. The display on the back appears to have an aspect ratio of 4:3 and is almost square.
Samsung’s design sketches show a second screen that is about half the size of the primary screen. The screen is placed in the upper half of the device to allow users to hold it properly. The rear display may not be meant for gaming or watching videos.
It’s possible the rear display will be used for taking a selfie, notification updates and showing the time, date, weather and latest news. Such functionally would ensure that users limit their use of the larger display, resulting in improved battery life. The patent does not include any explanation because it is just a design patent.
Since there is no front camera, users will be able to switch to the rear screen when taking a selfie and use the main camera. Such a design would ensure that the Samsung dual-screen smartphone doesn’t have a punch-hole camera as seen on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10 Plus, and users will get a truly full-screen phone.
Further, the design sketches show a receiver on the top screen border and no 3.5 mm headphone port. There have been rumors that the Galaxy Note 10 will ditch the 3.5 mm jack. The sketch also does not show any button for the fingerprint sensor, suggesting it could under the screen.
It is unlikely that Samsung will use its Galaxy S or Note series for a dual-screen phone. The Korean company is known for building on existing models to offer new phones in these two series. For instance, LetsGoDigital recently revealed a Samsung patent for a 3D curved display. Such a design seems more likely for future S and Note series phones.
However, Samsung could use its Galaxy A series to experiment with a dual-screen design. Historically, the company has used its A series to introduce a new design or feature, such as debuting a triple-lens camera and later even a quad-lens camera. Samsung also recently released a new A series phone with a rotating camera.
A dual-screen phone is not a new thing. Previously, several companies have tested the market with similar designs, but none were able to impress. For instance, Vivo introduced a similar concept with its Vivo Nex Dual Display, and Nubia also brought a similar phone to the market.
Even Samsung has patented a dual-screen device before. For instance, in 2017, Samsung filed a patent for a phone with a double-sided display. Since then, the company has filed several similar patents in Korea. Such a flurry of patents for similar designs suggests a Samsung dual-screen smartphone might actually be in the works.
However, nothing is certain because there is no official announcement from Samsung, and we only have patents for now. Tech companies regularly file patents, but not all patents are worked upon. Even if a company works on a patent, there is no surety that it will be converted into a finished product.
Samsung does have one product which it converted from a patent to a finished product, but it has yet to hit store shelves. We’re still awaiting an update the Galaxy Fold, the company’s foldable phone. Earlier there were rumors about the handset launching in July, but that does not appear to be the case now. A Samsung spokesperson recently told The Korea Herald that if “we are running such a media event this month, we should be doing something by now,” and that “nothing has progressed since the April delay.”
Moreover, it is unlikely that Samsung would launch the Galaxy Fold at its next Galaxy Unpacked event scheduled for August. At the event, the South Korean company is expected to showcase its Galaxy Note 10 series.
