Samsung has filed a patent for a handheld device with a sliding screen and a rotating camera, but is it the Galaxy S20 or the Fold 2?
The patent – initially spotted by LetsGoDigital – seems to depict a smartphone display with a neat rolling mechanism, allowing the screen to curve under the phone and reappear on the back as a significantly smaller display.
Image: LetsGoDigitial
The design allows the display to completely dominate the front view of the device, with only a narrow bezel at the bottom to play home to the rotating mechanism.
The patent also imagines a camera hidden in the bottom right corner beneath the display. Not only does this feature negate the need for a bezel, but the sensor seems to be directly integrated into the sliding display. This means that the single or dual camera in the diagram could potentially be used as both the front and rear snapper depending on whether the screen is pushed to the back of the phone.
Image: LetsGoDigital
Read our review of the Samsung Galaxy S10
Just yesterday, we heard that Samsung may be launching a phone with an under-display camera in 2020.
Serial tipster Ice Universe tweeted that not only will Samsung release a device with the futuristic camera tech but that it will not be the Samsung Galaxy S20 or the Galaxy Fold 2. We suggested that this could mean a new hidden sensor for the Galaxy A-series, as Samsung frequently uses the mid-range line to test up-and-coming tech like the in-display fingerprint sensor and the hole punch notch before introducing them to the flagship S20 and Note series.
Read our hands-on review of the Samsung Galaxy Fold
While the under-screen sensor in the latest patent could be the camera that Ice Universe is referring to, the sliding display would feel much more at home in the recalled and revamped Note series than in a mid-range handset like the Galaxy A90.
Either way, Samsung doesn’t typically follow through with every patent it files so we’ll have to wait until next year to find out if (and where) this device will slide into Samsung’s smartphone lineup.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
