Samsung Patent Reveals Folding Tablet Device

Samsung could be secretly developing another folding device, after a patent for a folding tablet was discovered.

The patent discovery was made by LetsGoDigital, and it is notable as the patent shows a double-folding flexible device with two hinges. This is different to Samsung’s current Galaxy Z Fold 2, which only boasts a single fold.

The patent was filed in the United States in late 2020, and has been just granted. It also demonstrates that Samsung has not given up on the folding device concept, despite some significant teething troubles for its Galaxy Fold smartphone.

Galaxy Fold Tab?

Unlike the Galaxy Fold (above) which has just one hinge, the patent shows two separate hinges, which allows the devices to unfolded from the centre to open up to resemble a curved gaming screen.

The patent displays a number of images that shows how the tablet could be folded open or placed into different positions.

For example, the device can be folded with the two sides of the device folding back behind it to make a smaller screen, or it can be folded into an wavy S-looking design.

The patent also reveals that it could be used in split-screen mode just by flexing the screen, allowing for one part of the screen to display some applications for example, whilst the other screen displays something else.

Or it can be converted into a single large display, like a big, curved gaming monitor.

All of these functions could make it suitable as a business tool.

Troubled start

Providing of course people and businesses buy into the folding concept, that is.

Samsung unveiled its next generation Galaxy Z Fold 2 in September 2020. It came with a bigger 7.6-inch display, 27 percent smaller bezels and a ‘smoother’ folding mechanism.

But the one thing that did not change from the first iteration was the price, and it sells for whopping $1,999 (£1,799) for the 256GB model.

Samsung’s groundbreaking folding smartphone had had a troubled start in life, after it was slated to arrive in US shops on 26 April 2019 and in the UK on 3 May 2019 at a cost $2,000.

But Samsung was forced to postpone the launch after early reviewers reported faults with the folding display, which halted media events for the device in the Far East.

Samsung’s DJ Koh admitted at the time that the delayed launch of its folding smartphone, was ‘embarrassing.’

He said he had pushed the Galaxy Fold to market “before it was ready. An executive in June 2019 had confirmed that the faults had been fixed with the device.

The first folding model eventually went on sale in September 2019 in selected markets.