Microsoft Folds: New Patent Application for Foldable Screen Design

As reported by Mobile Syrup, Microsoft’s new patent application reveals that the company may be moving away from its Surface Duo’s dual screen design toward a design without hinges. 

Rather than having two displays joined by a hinge, the patent discloses the use of a single flexible panel that allows for 360-degree motion. The display works by utilizing “configurations of foldable glass with a backplate comprising backplate slots that facilitate folding while avoiding mechanical creases”. 

This design could make Microsoft’s eventual Surface Duo 3 the most competitive on the foldable screen market, which includes LG’s “Real Folding Window” display and Samsung’s Flex G and Flex S panels. Notably, the patent only describes the mechanism and how Microsoft envisions the foldable design to work. There is no mention of whether the company will develop one itself or employ LG’s or Samsung’s panels.