Samsung has reportedly filed a patent for a full wraparound display covering the front and rear of the phone and the edges. Over the past few years, the Korean firm has patented various types of screens and displays, ramping up its efforts to manufacture unique smartphone designs.
Patent also describes a spine feature
Samsung’s wraparound screen phone could further air the bezel-free fire that has engulfed the mobile industry. Rival Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 2 has a 93% screen to body ratio, whereas both Oppos’ R9s and ZT’s Nubia Z11 boast a 74% screen to body ratio. Samsung’s next-gen display could stretch the screen up to 98%, notes DigitalTrends.
If the documents published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office are to be believed, then the phone will also come loaded with a spine feature that will enable the user to pop open an app on whichever side desired.
Images and explanations in the document show an app drawer on the side display panel of the smartphone. This app drawer enables the user to access apps by tapping and dragging them left or right, depending on which side of the screen the user wants the app to be on, notes PatentlyApple.
What’s thwarting the development of wraparound displays?
It all looks pretty futuristic on paper, but a long wait is expected before Samsung can even start mass production of wraparound screen phones. Before that, the Korean firm has to find a fix for one of the major issues thwarting the development of this tech.
Limitations with the current lamination process are one of the major issues with wraparound screens. ETNews mentions the blind spot on each corner if Samsung tries to wrap the screen all around the phone. A blind spot is an area that will not respond to touch.
It is not just Samsung that is facing lamination difficulties, as arch rival Apple, which was reportedly considering a curved OLED screen for the next iPhone, has possibly dropped the idea to go with traditional flat screens. It is believed that Apple is working with its current display supplier Samsung Display to come up with a fix for the issue, notes Digital Trends.
Samsung has a plan B
Samsung definitely has plan B in the form of a flexible display if its experiment with a wraparound screen gets thwarted. In February, the company acquired a patent for a device with a foldable display featuring a mechanical turning point in the middle and a screen that folds on the inside.
The Korean firm is reportedly working on commercializing its foldable handset dubbed the Galaxy X. Though it is believed that the phone wll not be as advanced as the one mentioned in the patent, the company is said to be a firm believer that flexible displays will carve out the future of the smartphone industry, states AndroidHeadlines.
It is somewhat true that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are the results of the first leg of Samsung’s experiment with displays. Although the display is radical, it costs the company a lot, which is reflected in the price of both smartphones.
