OPPO reportedly files for a particularly striking slider-phone patent

The Xiaomi Mi Mix 3 and OPPO Find X have given a new meaning to the term "slider phone" in recent years. In both cases, their manufacturers have leveraged this form of motion to develop alternatives to the all-too-common display notch. However, unlike the Mi Mix 3, the Find X's slider is automatic. This feat of engineering, while innovative, may not have helped the phone's popularity.

Nevertheless, it appears that new OPPO has been working on a 2nd generation of this technology. A new patent, allegedly found in the World Intellectual Property Office database, shows a new sliding-phone design attributed to this OEM. 

The patent's images indicate that the resulting device distinguishes itself from the Find X in that its rear panel has 3 separate sections. The uppermost of these (which, like the lowest, gives the impression of being metallic rather than made of glass) is capable of sliding away from the other 2, which, when seen from the front, deploys a wide bar in which front-facing sensors and cameras are found.

This novel style also gives the phone the appearance of having a large tick-mark on the back when the slider module is activated. The new patent, apparently granted on August 2, 2019, invites speculation that it may be applied to this year's rumored Find Z flagship. However, as the rear camera module in its images only has space for 2 lenses, there is no guarantee that this is the case.