Microsoft is no stranger to innovation, delivering outstanding products under its Surface brands, such as Surface Duo and Surface Book. According to recently published patent details, Microsoft is now working on a next-generation dual-screen phone called the “Surface Duo 3,” and its next experiment could be more durable.
A new patent called “FOLDABLE DISPLAY DEVICE” shows a “dual-screen” folding screen device using a single folding display. Microsoft calls it a “one-piece back,” which apparently uses stretchable material in the expandable area and sits near the hinge, meaning it’s similar to the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
The main advantage is that this new design doesn’t take up too much space within the body of a foldable phone, which means Microsoft’s next foldable Android phone may be thinner and lighter than a dual-screen device, and this “back cover” design is less The Galaxy Fold and similar foldable phones are more durable and therefore less likely to break.
Microsoft talks about a folding screen device that can be folded 360 degrees in the folding part in the patent application. It uses a back cover and a cover glass layer that covers the entire display and adds a light-emitting layer between the back cover and the cover glass layer to ensure a natural experience. There is also a backplate between the back cover and the light-emitting layer.
While that sounds exciting, we know that devices that use a single screen or an ultra-thin layer of glass with a plastic film have noticeable mechanical creases. One example is the Samsung Fold, which has wrinkles and other visual artifacts in the folded portion of the display, and it’s also prone to cracking and other physical damage.
This patented Surface Duo 3 uses a folding screen glass with a back panel that uses a “back panel slot” that allows it to fold while avoiding mechanical creases. “This example also provides consistent transparency and light transmission throughout the display, including the folded portion, and mechanically robust components. In this way, the display device of the present disclosure can be freely rotated through various angles and orientations. At the same time, at various It also exhibits a substantially uniform and smooth surface in both folded and flat orientations, thereby providing the user with a pleasing and high-quality look and feel,” Microsoft said in the patent filing.
The patented Surface Duo 3 could be a durable device with most of the benefits of a foldable phone. At the same time, fewer problems will arise. Of course, this is just a patent and there’s no guarantee it’ll join Microsoft’s Surface lineup, but let’s not forget that the original Surface Duo also existed on paper.
Given the recent organizational reshuffle and Microsoft’s growing focus on the Android platform, it’s possible the device will actually be released.
Read Also: Microsoft’s new Surface Pro X Revealed with Snapdragon 8CX Gen3 Chip
Microsoft is currently focusing on software for dual-screen devices like the Surface Duo, and the next generation of dual-screen or foldable phones has been delayed.
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