Samsung patents a foldable tablet with built-in stand and keyboard

There have been plenty of rumors, speculation, and even prototype demonstrations related to foldable smartphones in the past, but it appears that Samsung is working on foldable tablet designs too. The company has just been awarded a patent for flexible tablet that also features a built in stand and a keyboard by the US Patent Office.

The illustrations show off a design that is split into three foldable segments. The display is presumable split across all three of the front panels and can be folded out for maximum screen space. The stand is located on the back of the middle panel to hold the tablet up if you want to watch a movie, and the keyboard on one of the side panels can be flipped over if the user wants to do some typing.

The tablet neatly folds up into one third of its maximum size for easy portability. However, it doesn’t appear that it’s possible to fold it up with a portion of the display facing outward, which would be handy for folding the tablet down for one handed use.

Still, this foldable tablet is certainly an interesting design concept, but the patent listing doesn’t reveal anything else about the potential product’s build materials, software features, or internal hardware. After all, this patent application is for protection of a concept rather than an indication that Samsung intends to brings this tablet to market.

Samsung seems to spend a lot of time dreaming up ideas for foldable products, but we’re yet to see anything hit the market. Do you think that Samsung is onto something with its foldable tablet, or is the company wasting its time?