Motorola appears to be working on a foldable smartphone
Another big tech brand is taking a swing at the foldable phone concept, this time Motorola is the latest company to have got its patent the device.
The Chinese brand appears to be working on a foldable smartphone that turns into a tablet, along with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy X, the Apple foldable iPhone and the Huawei foldable phone.
This is according to a patent filed by the firm, which was spotted and reported on by Let's Go Digital.
The name of the patent is “Three part foldable housing supporting multiple use positions in an electronic device.”
The smartphone can fold out into a tablet, with the screen facing the outside, so that it can lay completely flat on a table, unlike other flexible models that can’t.
There seem to be two cameras, one on the front left, probably intended as a ‘selfie cam' when in phone mode. The second on the top right is likely a dual camera and, according to T3, “this should allow for a stereo effect for the images to make 3D-like shots.”
Two hinges placed in the top center and top bottom suggest that the phone will fold along that axis, possibly even propped up like a tent. In theory that could mean a good viewing angle for watching TV on the phone.
Whether this phone ever goes to market is another question, however it does look like Motorola does not plan to sit back and let others get too much of a head start with this concept. But with rumors suggesting Samsung could release something as early as next year, there is no time to waste.
By Neo Sesinye
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