ASUS allegedly patents a dual-slider phone

Many smartphone OEMs are trying to stand out at present with different, innovative form factors that could be the one to leave the display notch behind for ever. According to a new patent filed with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO), ASUS' plan to do so involves a novel type of sliding mechanism.

This particular adaptation is not of course brand-new: Xiaomi had got there first with its Mi Mix 3. However, the images in this document suggest that ASUS has designed one better. The device as shown has a full-screen display, under which is a second layer that can slide upwards as well as downwards.

It seems that ASUS intends to house dual cameras - accompanied by additional sensors and components such as a flash - in the 'upper part' of the slider. The display can also move upwards to reveal a compartment housing a long, thin module that may be a speaker.

There are multiple different designs in which the cameras are arranged in different positions (e.g. along the midline of the phone, or positioned at either edge of the sliding compartment); they add up to 10 in total. The respected leaker Evan Blass has posted renders based on some of these designs, suggesting that the 'speaker' could be powered by Harmon Kardon.

The new ASUS concept - which has only been approved by the WIPO as of May 21, 2019 - may have many advantages, a relatively unique delivery of an edge-to-edge display being chief among them. However, it may also have compromises: for example, it seems that the user will have to choose between deploying a front-firing speaker and taking selfies. In addition, it is not clear if the dual slider would be motorized, or feature the possibly more robust manual application seen in the Mi Mix 3.