Motorola patents foldable phone that transforms into smartwatch

Foldable smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 ($1,899 on Amazon) may shrink to half their size when folded, but a pocket is still needed for transport. Those who want to avoid this can use a smartwatch, but with their small displays and severely limited app selection, these devices often cannot replace a smartphone. Motorola is now targeting this very problem.

As Burnplate and @xleaks7 have discovered, Motorola has patented a device with a foldable display that functions as both a smartphone and a smartwatch. In smartwatch mode, the device curves around the wrist with the display facing outward, magnets hold the two ends together and could also allow the size of this "wristband" to be adjusted. To transform this watch into a smartphone, it simply needs to be removed from the wrist and bent straight. To achieve a more traditional smartphone aspect ratio, the two halves can be separated and assembled side by side.

This solution is innovative but is likely a long way from becoming a real product. Given the current state of technology, this device would be comparatively thick and heavy as a smartwatch, while the smartphone display, composed of multiple panels, would not be particularly comfortable to use. As is usually the case, patents merely reveal what a company is working on internally. Whether or when Motorola actually plans to launch a smartwatch-smartphone hybrid remains unclear.