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Samsung seems to be exploring a phone with a pop-out display
- Samsung has filed a patent for a phone with a pop-out flexible display.
- The purpose of the design is to make room for a speaker resonance chamber.
From Samsung’s foldable phones and clamshells to extreme design anomalies like the nubia Alpha, flexible displays have made for some pretty interesting and unique smartphone form factors of late. It seems we’re in for more design innovation in the future thanks to these bendy screens. A recently filed Samsung patent apparently imagines a smartphone with a flexible display that pops out of its chassis.
The patent uncovered by LetGoDigital describes how Samsung wants to create a speaker resonance chamber inside a phone. It explains that the phone will consist of separate front and rear panels. The speakers, microphone/s, selfie camera, and other sensors will be sandwiched between the two panels. These components will be attached to the front panel and pop-out from the housing with the flexible screen.
The purpose of this design is to create extra resonance space for the speakers inside the housing. This would help amplify the sound and make it louder, just like the effect created when you place your smartphone in an empty glass. We previously saw similar tech on the LG G7 ThinQ.
According to patent documentation, Samsung mentions using a plastic polymer display similar to the one on the original Galaxy Fold. However, the company has since moved to ultra-thin glass tech for phones like the Galaxy Z Fold 2. If this design ever goes commercial, it’s entirely possible for Samsung to switch from a polymer screen to a glass display.
Another notable design element in the patent is the use of a rectangular frame. This, as LetsGoDigital points out, is very similar to the new iPhones. We’re already seeing Samsung adopt more flat-screen designs with phones like the Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy S20 FE. Perhaps Samsung is planning to move away from rounded smartphone designs in the future.
Before you get too excited by the prospect of such a smartphone from Samsung, know that this is just a patent application. There’s no guarantee that the company will ever commercialize this design. However, you can consider this a good example of how flexible displays might influence smartphone design in the future.