So, the folding smartphone concept hasn’t really worked out for Samsung….yet.
But that doesn’t keep a good company down and recent patent filings reveal that the company might be angling to make a smartphone with a wraparound screen.
This is being targeted toward the burgeoning selfie market and is touted as having benefits for picture taker and subjects as it allows both of them to view what the final product should look like.
From a business standpoint, this probably makes a lot more sense than the folding phone that somehow is coming out first.
In fact, the patent filing is from 2016 though it didn’t receive approval from the World Intellectual Property Office until April 25 according to reports.
Patent drawings show a phone with a screen that extends even to the edges of the device but, other than that, seems to be pretty standard smartphone fare.
One thing that this feature has going for it is that smartphone manufacturers are really desperate to differentiate themselves in a crowded market of clones.
Sure, there are a lot of performance capabilities between devices, but design wise, everyone kind of plays from the same design book.
A wraparound screen would be a dynamic, noticeable difference that could become the next big thing in smartphone design. Being both cool and functional tends to make features stick around a lot longer than being gimmicky or broken.
That said, Samsung is not scared of trying new things and we have no doubt that they’ll figure out whatever is going on with the folding phone.
In the meantime, though, we can look ahead and imagine the beautiful displays these wraparound screen smartphones might have and what that could mean for photography.
What do you think? Are wraparound screens the future of smartphone design? Let us know in the comments.
