MS patents foldable phone-tablet

[JaimitoFrog]

It's coming, no matter what you want to call it.
The ultimate mobile device.

Love that built in kickstand too. All sort of sizes, I think they are covering the bases, but likely only make one or two sizes. I have a Eilte x3, and think that's the max for a phone factor.

Microsoft patents a foldable phone-to-tablet mobile device https://mspoweruser.com/microsoft-patents-foldable-phone-to-tablet-mobile-device/

 

[JaimitoFrog]

Looking at it again, there are two-pane and three-pane versions. So at least two sizes with different designs. Looks sweet.

 

[Indistinguishable]

Here's the Windows Central piece on it. I'd imagine there's more to come on this. Could this be the Surface Phone? Microsoft awarded patents for a range of foldable mobile devices | Windows Central

 

[fatclue_98]

If these are just the display panels, where's the rest of the device? Battery and cam module, not to mention the actual innards, will make this quite the chunky little thing.

 

[JaimitoFrog]

Fig 14 shows the 3-pane tablet mode attached to a docking periphery, likely a keyboard. Fig 15, shows a two pane tablet in the closed position like a book, but has a third screen on the front. This looks like one of those device on those MS productivity future videos, see 1:19 mark of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-tFdreZB94
Fig 16 shows the kickstand mode for both the 2-pane and 3-pane tablets. Fig 12 and 13 shows a sliding mechanism to lock the device in the tablet mode, which is different from Fig 6, which is more like magnetic lock or something. I wonder which one will make it to the final product.

Posted from Windows Central for Windows 10