apple
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently announced Apple's Electronic Devices With Flexible Displays, a foldable screen that has a bendable area that opens and closes like a book. When the device is folded, the screen It is also possible to bend with this bending axis.
The most important thing is that this screen is not OLED screen, but also support LCD, OLED, microLED three specifications of the screen.This is the first time in the patent file, Apple mentioned the microLED display screen material used in Apple products, Therefore, the outside world that foldable iPhone is a chance to use microLED screen.
Although Apple filed the patent application in September 2016 and made it public in November 2017, the outside world does not think that the foldable iPhone will come out sooner, speculating that the key is the microLED technology.According to "9to5mac", the foldable iPhone May be listed in 2021, Samsung rival Galaxy X may be entirely two years later.When Apple suffered frustration due to the OLED screen, turn to microLED research and development, while the folding iPhone may use microLED technology, push Estimated to come out in 2021, as to whether with the introduction of folding smart phones Samsung accelerate the pace of development, remains to be observed.
Samsung
As early as the CES Consumer Electronics Show in 2013, Samsung demonstrated the OLED soft display technology called "Youm". At that time, the idea was to use a flexible screen capable of bending, twisting and folding to connect a large-screen flat panel Although Samsung has been accumulating patent-related patents, it is also reported in the first quarter of 2017 that Samsung will launch a foldable screen phone that can expand the 5-inch screen into an 8-inch called Galaxy X. However, After a lapse of five years, it is a pity that Samsung did not expect to open a collapsible new machine at CES 2018 as it is expected to show only certain partners a collapsible 7.3-inch OLED soft phone screen design prototype.
From the patent filed by Samsung to Korea Patent Office, it can be seen that the foldable screen phone of Samsung is relatively close to that of the previous clamshell phone. After opening, the screen layout is biased toward the long type (see Figure 2).
Samsung publicly announced in September 2017 that it plans to launch a collapsible smart phone in 2018 that can overcome some of the production challenges. The Samsung Galaxy X is expected to launch with only a 5-inch screen , But will expand to become an 8-inch tablet computer.From Samsung to the world to apply for WIPO patents in January this year, just open, Galaxy X expects 7.3-inch OLED screen, although the hinge structure, but the phone folded in the The middle of the screen seamless (see Figure III), after all, if Samsung's new machine will be like the patent revealed by the design, the result is looking forward to.
LG
LG in July 2015 to the Korean Patent Office to apply for a screen foldable mobile phone patent, the main feature is "spread the phone screen into a flat", the folded state of the phone will have the front and rear two display screen, the middle of the two screen folding The parts can be used to manipulate music or inform messages, and also allow the phone to stand on the desktop. The camera lens, flash, and fingerprint recognition components will be placed close to the side of the phone (see Figure 4).
LG in July 2015 to the Korean Patent Office to apply for a screen foldable mobile phone patent, the main feature is "spread the phone screen into a flat", the folded state of the phone will have the front and rear two display screen, the middle of the two screen folding The parts can be used to manipulate music or inform messages, and also allow the phone to stand on the desktop. The camera lens, flash, and fingerprint recognition components will be placed close to the side of the phone (see Figure 4).
July 2017 LG submitted to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) a patent titled "Cell Phones with Foldable Flexible Displays," exposing two versions of the patent map, one with a folded cell phone and the other with a rear panel There is a photographic lens that shows the time of the previous screen when collapsed, the second is that when the phone is folded, the back cover is pushed aside and the transparent portion is displayed in front of the right. The sidebar shows time and notifications. There is also a camera lens module behind the device. Previously rumored LG is planning to mass-produce folding screen phone in the second half of 2017, and from the recent patent applications of LG several files, can be seen folding traces, only However, the first quarter of this year, LG's new machines have not seen the foldable design.
OPPO
OPPO in May 2017 to the Chinese Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) applied for a patent-foldable cell phone appearance, just announced at the end of January this year. OPPO this folding screen is not from the two Block screen, but through the flexibility of the back hinge and the screen to achieve the folding function, the phone will expand after the emergence of a complete screen, but from the front still have forehead and chin, folding the screen is not full screen.
From the patent applications of various handset makers, the folding screen will be the development trend of the future handsets. ZTE has officially released the folding smartphone Axon M in Beijing in January this year, and who else will continue to roll out the folding handsets , I believe it will be the focus of the mobile phone market!