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| Example of a flexible display, LEFT, and the illustrations filed with the Samsung patent, RIGHT |
SAMSUNG is hard at work on a smartphone with a plastic display capable of being rolled up, according to a patent for the technology giant.
Samsung has been awarded a US patent for a brand-new foldable, rollable display to use across its smartphone and tablet ranges.
The South Korean technology firm recently used its flexible display technology in the award-winning Galaxy S6 Edge, which has a dual curved QHD screen.
However this latest patent, which was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, shows the company has bolder ambitions for its curved displays.
The illustrations filed with the approved patent reveal a cylindrical hub, which houses the rolled display – which unfurls like a pair of window blinds.
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| The US patent contains a futuristic cylindrical smartphone with a roll-up display |
Users then pull a tab at the end of the multitouch display to unroll it from the hub and use the full screen real estate available on the tablet or smartphone.
To achieve this unprecedented level of flexibility, the patent notes Samsung would replace traditional Gorilla Glass multitouch glass with a pliable plastic material.
Unrolling additional screen real estate allows for greater flexibility for users.
For example, smartphone owners could pull-out a larger display to reveal a full week-view on their calendar, or split-screen between two apps, or for a larger screen to watch film.
It's a staggeringly cool idea and offers a rare glimpse into some of the ideas being kicked around the Samsung research and development department.
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| Tablets and smartphones are included in the US patent |
Meanwhile, Samsung is hard at work on the Galaxy smartphone S7, which is due to hit UK shelves early next year.
Not much is known about the new smartphone – although there is one heavily-rumoured feature that is sure to please Samsung fans.
A new report from Italian news outlet HD Blog claims the Samsung Galaxy S7 will bring back the microSD for expandable storage.
The ability to increase the available storage on the smartphone via microSD was dropped from the Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge and Note 5.
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| The patent offers a rare glimpse into the potential future of our mobile devices |
Samsung ditched the expandable memory in favour of a stylish new redesign.
As a result, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge was named the Smartphone of the Year in the prestigious T3 Awards.
Alongside the return of the microSD, Samsung is rumoured to introduce USB Type-C to the smartphone range for the first time.
The new smartphone is expected to ship with either a flat 5.2inch or a curved 5.7inch Edge display.
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| Samsung is widely rumoured to reintroduce the microSD for expandable storage options |
HD Blog reports the new Samsung flagship smartphone will come with either the Samsung Exynos 8890 processor or Qualcomm Snapdragon 820.
Samsung is also expected to introduce a new pressure sensitive display, similar to the 3D Touch technology used in the Apple iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.
The South Korean technology firm has approached Synaptics, which has developed a 3D Touch alternative called ClearForce.
Similar to 3D Touch, ClearForce responds to various levels of screen pressure.
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