A newly unveiled patent suggests that Samsung could be developing a laptop that folds over twice. The diagrams were first spotted by LetsGoDigital, and it features a flexible screen that allows for extra portability.
According to them, Samsung had filed a patent with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in July 2021, for a ‘Multi-foldable electronic device.’ The documents were then approved and released on January 13, 2022.
At first glance, the diagram resembles any standard laptop, whose lid folds over vertically. But, the screen itself is a flexible one, featuring a crease that runs perpendicularly across the panel, highlighting where the fold is.
Samsung’s ‘Multi-foldable electronic device’ documentation. (Image credit: LetsGoDigital)
It suggests that the lower, metallic half of the laptop is foldable as well, with hinges that hold the two halves together. So conceptually, the laptop folds over once normally, then again, vertically – like how one would fold a piece of paper.
The company has also included a clip that slides from beneath the laptop and clamps onto the device, once folded. This prevents it from unintentional unfolding. Judging from the diagrams, it is also clear that the space bar key will be divided into two halves, while the trackpad gets shifted to the right-hand side.
Internally, the processor will be aligned to the extreme left, while the rest of the laptop operates on two batteries on either side. When folded, users will have access to audio player buttons, allowing for one-hand, comfortable music playback on a laptop.
For now, it is not clear if Samsung actually intends to release such a product, or if people would actually be down to purchase one, given the cost will probably be too high. But, the company has been doing well in the foldable smartphone market, owing to better hinge design and a price drop – sighting a new era.
