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Huawei Patent Shows Industry’s Most Advanced Design for Rollable Smartphone
Huawei is also actively developing a rollable smartphone in addition to the Huawei Mate 50 series. The following extensive and detailed patent shows that the development is now at an advanced stage. On January 31, 2021, Huawei Technologies filed a patent with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) called 'An electronic device having a rolling display comprising magnetic means for flattening the display when extracted'. The 21-page documentation was published today, August 5, 2021. The documentation builds on a patent that Huawei has already applied for in April 2020 for a Huawei smartphone with a sliding screen . At that time, the design was fixed. Meanwhile, the development of this seems to have progressed further, with Huawei running into a problem. When you pull out the roll-up screen, it will want to deform – this is partly due to the fact that the screen is rolled out along the side of the device. To prevent the screen from getting creased, two magnets are placed in strategic places, so that the display is pressed flat against the device and looks wrinkle-free - regardless of whether you pull the display out.
Huawei is also actively developing a rollable smartphone in addition to the Huawei Mate 50 series. The following extensive and detailed patent shows that the development is now at an advanced stage. On January 31, 2021, Huawei Technologies filed a patent with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) called 'An electronic device having a rolling display comprising magnetic means for flattening the display when extracted'. The 21-page documentation was published today, August 5, 2021. The documentation builds on a patent that Huawei has already applied for in April 2020 for a Huawei smartphone with a sliding screen . At that time, the design was fixed. Meanwhile, the development of this seems to have progressed further, with Huawei running into a problem. When you pull out the roll-up screen, it will want to deform – this is partly due to the fact that the screen is rolled out along the side of the device. To prevent the screen from getting creased, two magnets are placed in strategic places, so that the display is pressed flat against the device and looks wrinkle-free - regardless of whether you pull the display out.
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A roller is placed between the two magnets, which is a fraction larger than the thickness of the housing – as shown in the patent image above. In this way, the roller ensures that there is some form of play between the pull-out display and the magnets. In this way, unwanted friction can be prevented from occurring, which would complicate the rolling up and unrolling process. The documentation states that the Huawei rollable smartphone will be equipped with a POLED display (plastic organic light emitting diode) with a plastic base layer, such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polyethylene naphtholate (PEN).
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It is a very detailed patent, which is mainly aimed at preventing unwanted screen creases. In addition, another detail is revealed, the device will have 3 modes. You can roll out the screen a little bit, roll it out a little further, or don't roll it out.
In its most compact position you have a regular sized mobile phone at your disposal that has a display surface on both the front and back – this is one large flexible screen. As soon as the device is pulled out, the screen surface on the back disappears and it is added via the left side of the device to the screen surface that goes on the front. When the display is fully rolled out, the display surface will be approximately 70% larger than in its most compact form, meaning a 6.5-inch phone would extend to an 11-inch display tablet size display.
In its most compact position you have a regular sized mobile phone at your disposal that has a display surface on both the front and back – this is one large flexible screen. As soon as the device is pulled out, the screen surface on the back disappears and it is added via the left side of the device to the screen surface that goes on the front. When the display is fully rolled out, the display surface will be approximately 70% larger than in its most compact form, meaning a 6.5-inch phone would extend to an 11-inch display tablet size display.
The image above is taken from the corresponding patent that was already filed in 2020.
LG Electronics was the first manufacturer to publicly announce that it is working on a rollable device, but the LG Rollable will no longer ed after LG decided to exit the smartphone market. OPPO showed a prototype, the Oppo X 2021 is a concept smartphone with a rollable display. This model was less extendable, the 6.7” display can be enlarged to a 7.4” screen. TCL, in April, showed the TCL Fold 'n Roll was shown. It had a 6.8” which opens to 8.85” and can be extended into a full 10-inch tablet. Samsung showed a slidable display device that resembles OPPO's model in terms of design. Samsung also recorded two potential model names; the Galaxy Z Roll and Galaxy Z Slide . Samsung is expected to release its first rollable smartphone with a pull-out display in 2022 .
In terms of smartphone brands, the upcoming MIX4 marks Xiaomi’s entry into the under-display camera segment. The brand is aiming to expand its presence in the segment and likely spread the technology to more premium models during the forecast period. Samsung, leveraging its in-house capabilities, is expected to lead the deployment of under-display cameras in smartphones, and gradually apply the design across its Galaxy Fold and S series. Besides, OPPO and HONOR may also embrace the technology next year. For Apple, the implementation of under-display cameras is likely to start in 2024, when the technology becomes mature with little loss of display and image quality.
Samsung’s also has a serious plan for rollable phones.
LG Electronics was the first manufacturer to publicly announce that it is working on a rollable device, but the LG Rollable will no longer ed after LG decided to exit the smartphone market. OPPO showed a prototype, the Oppo X 2021 is a concept smartphone with a rollable display. This model was less extendable, the 6.7” display can be enlarged to a 7.4” screen. TCL, in April, showed the TCL Fold 'n Roll was shown. It had a 6.8” which opens to 8.85” and can be extended into a full 10-inch tablet. Samsung showed a slidable display device that resembles OPPO's model in terms of design. Samsung also recorded two potential model names; the Galaxy Z Roll and Galaxy Z Slide . Samsung is expected to release its first rollable smartphone with a pull-out display in 2022 .
In terms of smartphone brands, the upcoming MIX4 marks Xiaomi’s entry into the under-display camera segment. The brand is aiming to expand its presence in the segment and likely spread the technology to more premium models during the forecast period. Samsung, leveraging its in-house capabilities, is expected to lead the deployment of under-display cameras in smartphones, and gradually apply the design across its Galaxy Fold and S series. Besides, OPPO and HONOR may also embrace the technology next year. For Apple, the implementation of under-display cameras is likely to start in 2024, when the technology becomes mature with little loss of display and image quality.
Samsung’s also has a serious plan for rollable phones.
- A detailed patent document was unearthed by LetsGoDigitial, which includes 32 pages of info from a German filing.
- We’ve already seen trademark filings for Samsung with the Galaxy “Z Roll” and “Z Slide” being secured.
- Now we have a bunch of info, including helpful renders that provide an impression of Samsung’s tech.
The documentation appears to suggest Samsung has developed the technology, not just patents of ideas. According to our own Dhruv Bhutani, even rollable prototypes seem to make more sense than foldables, when he wrote:
- “My time with the Oppo X 2021 has me convinced that rollable phones have distinct advantages over foldables.”
- “Having tried out almost all the foldable smartphones on the market, I can safely say that the Oppo X 2021 gets the closest to combining a smartphone and tablet experience in a singular device, and that’s largely due to how usable the phone is.”
- People who own foldables do seem to love them, just ask Ross Young CEO of DSCC