Microsoft did not have the success that was anticipated with its Android-powered Surface Duo series Smartphones. The company discontinued the lineup after the Duo 2. But this does not mean that the company has stopped trying.
A new one patent application filed at the US Patent and Trademark Office on February 29, reveals that the company is working on another foldable or dual-display mobile device. The patent application describes the company’s take on the foldable smartphone concept with a unique hinge technology called a “spine cover plate.”
The next Microsoft smartphones could feature a design similar to the Galaxy Z Fold
According to the patent application, the phone could feature a “flexible display” in a book design similar to the Galaxy Z Fold decades ago. In any case, the total focus is on the mechanism of the spine cover plate which is intended to protect the single hinge system of the device covering the structural element.
The differentiating factor between the regular hinge and Microsoft’s design is that the spine cover automatically adjusts when opening and closing the phone to prevent any unnecessary gaps around the hinge to protect against dust and water. Currently, Samsung’s design offers an IPX8 rating that makes its foldables only water resistant.
The patent also mentions that the new hinge mechanism could allow Microsoft to eliminate the less visible hinge crease than the current options available in the market.
In addition, Microsoft also mentioned techniques that could allow to reduce the overall thickness of the foldable smartphone, allowing the spine cover plate to approach the hinge of the device when it is folded.
“By retracting the spine cover plate toward the central spine as the first display support frame and the second display support frame are rotated in a face-to-face orientation, the width of the folded computing device is reduced, thereby allowing easier and more convenient handling of the device, such as with one hand,” Microsoft noted in the patent.
Interesting idea, but practicality is a question mark
The entire smartphone market is looking for a way to eliminate the folding fold from their smartphones. Some brands have already implemented the folding mechanism of water drops to reduce it, but there is nothing like a folding without wrinkles. In addition to this, the durability quotient of foldable is also important considering all the moving parts that these phones have.
That said, adding another layer or moving part on top of the entire folding mechanism doesn’t seem like a wise move despite the benefits and durability that Microsoft explained in the patent application.
