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Fujifilm prepares to get in on the foldables game with its first device patent

Will Fujifilm really make a foldable? (Source: LetsGoDigital)
Will Fujifilm really make a foldable? (Source: LetsGoDigital)
A new device with a foldable main display has been patented by...Fujifilm. The iconic camera brand has indicated that it does indeed intend to move into this market with a first-gen product that looks most like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3. On the other hand, it may not have the exact same use-cases as this new premium phablet.

Patents or other claims for foldable devices are getting more and more common these days. However, the source of a recent example of these comes from a potentially unexpected source. Fujifilm has had its IP for such a product published by the US Patents and Trademarks Office (USPTO) as of September 9, 2021.

This OEM is not typically associated with the technology described in this document; however, the company does in fact already have a patent for a flexible display, filed back in 2017. This screen - or possibly a newer generation of the same - features prominently in this newer claim.

The device in question incorporates this main display in a form-factor very similar to that of the Galaxy Z Fold3 or Huawei Mate X2, secondary "cover" screen and all. Then again, the Fujifilm version exhibits a noticeable chin under both panels, making it look more like a reader in its current form.

Fujifilm also proposes that its take on this category would contain a processor and an OS, necessary to effect the transition of various content types from one display to the other. (In fact, much of the 51-page document is dedicated to diagrams outlining this ability.) This, apparently, enhances work-flow on the hypothetical foldable.

Finally, Fujifilm hints at a range of connectivity options, Wi-Fi and possibly even Ethernet included, that could come with this next-gen device. On the other hand, other normal staples of mobile devices, USB ports and SIM-card slots included, go unmentioned.

Therefore, it is possible the OEM intends to pitch its first-gen foldable as a futuristic new kind of viewer or external screen for photographers or other content-creators that form this OEM's normal user-base.

Technizo Concept presents some Fujifilm foldable renders in partnership with LetsGoDigital. (Source: USPTO via LetsGoDigital)
Technizo Concept presents some Fujifilm foldable renders in partnership with LetsGoDigital. (Source: USPTO via LetsGoDigital)
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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2021 09 > Fujifilm prepares to get in on the foldables game with its first device patent
Deirdre O'Donnell, 2021-09-19 (Update: 2021-09-19)