LG Also Developing a Foldable Smartphone?

LG is the latest to company to explore the possibilities of foldable smartphones.

In a recent patent filed by the company picked up by GSM info, potential designs of the foldable handset were shown. One thing the document made clear is that the handset will not have a single display that can be folded into a clamshell.

The foldable smartphone that LG has in mind looks much like the recently unveiled ZTE Axon M, which features two conjoined displays.

However, the displays on the LG foldable handset become one when in tablet mode with no bezels in the middle that breaks up a seamless view, unlike the ZTE offering. Speaking of bezels, LG's foldable smartphone has a chunk of that.

The company was the first to explore the bezel-less design in mobiles that has since become the norm in flagships, having released the first handset with a tall 18:9 display with minimal bezels in the form of the LG G6.

But for the foldable smartphone field, LG is far from a trailblazer. BGR points out that the design definitely needs a lot of work.

In folded form, the screen disappears leaving users with an external display to interact with. The foldable handset has a fingerprint sensor as well, and it is taking up more space than what users would prefer.

This might be better than the second concept within the patent, which trades that external screen for a rear cover that houses a transparent section where notifications and other information will be displayed for instant glance.

For now, however, nothing is set in stone yet. Since this is just a patent, it is unclear if this will be the direction LG is taking should it come out with a foldable flagship in the future.

If the company will pursue the concept of a foldable smartphone, which is expected to evolve as one of the biggest trends in the years to come, it is hoped that it will be a far cry from what is shown in this patent.