LG patents reveal folding smartphone plans

LG folding phone concept design. (Source: GSMInfo)

LG looks to be planning a competitor for the forthcoming Samsung Galaxy X. Patents have been uncovered potentially revealing the Korean maker's hand.

by Sanjiv Sathiah, 2018/01/20

A patent filing by LG has revealed its thinking around the design of foldable phones, Dutch website GSMinfo has uncovered. With Samsung expected to release the foldable Galaxy X either later this year or in 2019, LG looks like it is keen to join the party. The ZTE Axon M is already filling this nice in the market, although its device folds together two separate displays to create a larger combined display.

The concept depicted by LG, as with the Galaxy X, would use a single flexible panel that would fold out to create something approaching a tablet – in this case, it might also actually have a secondary display. LG has been working on flexible OLED technology using plastic substrate for some years now, releasing the LG Flex and Flex 2 a couple of years ago. However, the technology used here is much more advanced.

From the looks of the sketches, the secondary display may be able to be seen from the front of the device when folded. LG has was among the first with always-on display technology, while its V10 and V20 models pioneered secondary displays. Whatever approach LG adopts in a shipping model, should that eventuate, will certainly be interesting.