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HP to Reenter Smartphone Market with a Foldable Flip Phone
Over the last 10-years HP has dabbled unsuccessfully in the smartphone market having released over 40 phones, the last one in August 2016 called the HP Elite x3 which had a 5.96” LCD with 1440x2560 resolution. Now that Microsoft has announced its reentry into smartphones with the Duo, it is not surprising that HP is going to re-emerge in the category. HP wants to use its acquired knowledge to develop a foldable smartphone that combines the features of a phone and a tablet. In February 2019, Hewlett-Packard Development Company filed a utility patent with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office). The patent called ‘Electronic display devices’ was approved on August 13, 2020 and describes the technology required to implement a flexible electronic display in mobile devices, such as a mobile phone, tablet or computer. The patent images show a flip phone (similar to the Motorola RAZR and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip) with a wide hinge and a rectangular shaped body. To better visualize the patented technology, LetsGoDigital has made a series of 3D renders based on the patent sketches. These concept renders are for illustrative purposes only. Since it is a utility patent, certain design aspects remain underexposed, including the cameras, but also the size of the screen, for example. In the design of these 3D renders we have therefore reserved the freedom to integrate these aspects into the design according to our own interpretation, according to the industry standards that apply in 2020.
Over the last 10-years HP has dabbled unsuccessfully in the smartphone market having released over 40 phones, the last one in August 2016 called the HP Elite x3 which had a 5.96” LCD with 1440x2560 resolution. Now that Microsoft has announced its reentry into smartphones with the Duo, it is not surprising that HP is going to re-emerge in the category. HP wants to use its acquired knowledge to develop a foldable smartphone that combines the features of a phone and a tablet. In February 2019, Hewlett-Packard Development Company filed a utility patent with the WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office). The patent called ‘Electronic display devices’ was approved on August 13, 2020 and describes the technology required to implement a flexible electronic display in mobile devices, such as a mobile phone, tablet or computer. The patent images show a flip phone (similar to the Motorola RAZR and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip) with a wide hinge and a rectangular shaped body. To better visualize the patented technology, LetsGoDigital has made a series of 3D renders based on the patent sketches. These concept renders are for illustrative purposes only. Since it is a utility patent, certain design aspects remain underexposed, including the cameras, but also the size of the screen, for example. In the design of these 3D renders we have therefore reserved the freedom to integrate these aspects into the design according to our own interpretation, according to the industry standards that apply in 2020.
The foldable device from HP has an inner folding OLED display with touchscreen functionality. As a result, the developed technology can be applied to both a flip phone and a laptop with a folding screen. By making a folding movement, the length of the inner surface changes relative to the outer surface. This can cause durability issues, as there is a considerable risk of damage when you fold and unfold the display panel frequently – according to the patent description. To overcome this problem, HP wants to use a ‘planar flexible substrate’ (auxetics) that gets thicker when it senses pressure. Most materials actually get thinner when stretched, which would be at the expense of durability. Suitable materials for this are different types of rubber, foam and fiber. These can be attached in various ways (e.g., as an adhesive) to the flexible display panel to facilitate the operation of the folding process, also in the long term.
One of the design variants is that the two display parts can be partially pulled apart when folded. Thus, a small display part remains usable even in the folded position, which can be useful for displaying notifications, incoming calls and messages.
Moreover, this eliminates the need for a cover display, which means that savings can be made on the cost. Last year, LetsGoDigital also reported on a similar Lenovo foldable smartphone.
By using a hinge with interconnected sliding links, it should also be possible to use the phone in a half-open position (at an angle of 100 to 210 degrees) creating new control options, i.e. hands-free operation. It can easily be adapted the interface to a kind of laptop screen, with the controls at the bottom (for example, a virtual keyboard) and at the top will display the image (such as photos / videos / documents).
Moreover, this eliminates the need for a cover display, which means that savings can be made on the cost. Last year, LetsGoDigital also reported on a similar Lenovo foldable smartphone.
By using a hinge with interconnected sliding links, it should also be possible to use the phone in a half-open position (at an angle of 100 to 210 degrees) creating new control options, i.e. hands-free operation. It can easily be adapted the interface to a kind of laptop screen, with the controls at the bottom (for example, a virtual keyboard) and at the top will display the image (such as photos / videos / documents).
There is also the possibility of using two or more hinges –similar to the Intel foldable smartphone, patented last year, consisting of three screen parts. It seems to be a matter of time before these types of models are also marketed. A double foldable device would allow users to expand their mobile phone not only into a tablet, but even into a compact laptop. After the Elite X3, HP has not released a new smartphone. The main reason for this was the decline of the Windows Phone platform. Nevertheless, computer manufacturers such as HP and Intel have been working with Microsoft for years and although Microsoft has stopped its Windows Phone platform, Windows 10X seems to offer a good alternative for dual-screen and foldable devices, although Microsoft chose Android for the Duo.
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