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Forward-looking: It feels like we've seen every spin on flexible displays – phones that fold, phones that fold in two places or more, rollable displays, you name it. But Samsung could be working on something that makes those seem like child's play. A recent patent filing hints at a wild new take on rollable display tech that could change how we interact with our devices.
The patent, submitted to the US Patent and Trademark Office last year, describes a tablet with a horizontally expandable display that can dynamically resize itself based on how it is used. The device is relatively compact when folded, but it can extend its screen with built-in rolling actuators.
Samsung's concept allows the display to stretch outward in either direction, adjusting its size depending on whether a keyboard is attached, the user is operating it one-handed, or a stylus is in use.
"This electronic device may comprise a flexible display, a first rolling actuator configured to extend the flexible display in a first direction, a second rolling actuator configured to extend the flexible display in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and at least one processor," notes the patent.
The intriguing part is the use of a dedicated processor. According to the patent, the tablet can detect the position of a connected peripheral device, such as a smartphone, and extend the flexible display based on the peripheral's location. This feature would allow the screen to expand partially to wirelessly mirror the smartphone's display using NFC.
The patent also mentions the possibility of the tablet acting as a remote control for Samsung's SmartThings smart home devices or even your TV by expanding a portion of the screen. Additionally, Samsung is exploring an ambidextrous feature, where the tablet detects whether the user is right-handed or left-handed and adjusts the expandable portion of the display accordingly.
As with any patent filing, there is zero guarantee this horizontally rollable concept will become a consumer product. However, Samsung is one of the few major companies going big on flexible display experiments as the tech matures.
We've seen Apple come up with some wild rollable ideas over the years, too, but it's best to leave things to Sammy since they already have foldable products in the market.
After years of smartphone slabs being the norm, the idea of our devices being able to physically morph and adapt to our needs feels incredibly futuristic. Here's hoping Samsung can actually pull off something this crazy.