Google Foldable Smartphone Design Tipped by Patent

Foldable smartphones are the flavour of the year for smartphone companies. Samsung and Huawei have already launched their first foldable smartphone while others like Xiaomi and Oppo have already teased their versions of a foldable phone. Clearly, Google doesn't want to be left behind. The tech giant is rumoured to be working on a foldable smartphone. A World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) patent gives us a hint on what to expect from Google's foldable smartphone.

The patent, first spotted by Patently Mobile, reveals a Google design for a foldable smartphone. At first glance, it appears to be something along the lines of the Motorola Razr foldable phone that's expected to launch later this year.

According to the patent application, the device is said to include a foldable display that folds inwards. The patent images reveal the device in a partially folded configuration as well as fully folded. The device will have a single inward fold, according to the patent images.

Google's patent described a folding computing device with flexible OLED displays
Photo Credit: WIPO

The patent also includes a schematic view of Google's foldable smartphone. This view highlights the flexible display sections of the smartphone along with bendable sections. Apart from an overview, the leaked patent images don't reveal much about Google's first foldable smartphone.

Samsung, which has already launched its first foldable smartphone, is reportedly offering foldable display samples to Apple and Google.

Bear in mind that this is just a patent application. Tech companies file quite a number of such patents, and not all of them turn into full-blown products. Google's actual foldable smartphone may look a lot different from these images.

Previous speculations had pointed towards Google working on a Pixel-branded foldable smartphone. Google could launch a foldable smartphone in 2020, according to a report.