LG Patent Shows Folding Device That Can Morph From Smartphone To Tablet

LG has a new patent that is making the rounds that shows a device with a dual purpose. The patent describes the device as a "mobile phone with a flexible display which can be folded in half." The original filing for the patent was in July of 2017, and the patent was just published on January 12, 2018.

There are two different versions of the device on the patent with the first being a folding phone that has a camera on the back panel. When this device is folded, information like time can be displayed on the front screen. The second device in the patent app features a sidebar that can display time and notifications.

On one side of this device is a cover that can be pushed aside to show information to the user. A camera is on the back of the device and the images make it looks as though there will be a visible hinge on at least one side of the device. We should all keep in mind that a patent app or a full patent that is granted doesn't mean that the tech in the patent will ever come to market.

Folding screen smartphones seem like the next big thing for mobile devices, and we have heard rumors that several major smartphone makers are set to launch folding screen devices. Rumors have hinted that Samsung might have a folding screen Galaxy device ready for launch in 2018.

Back in December, a patent application turned up from Samsung that showed what the company was thinking about for its own folding screen device. Samsung's device looked more like an old-school flip phone while the device LG is showing off has more of a traditional tablet form factor.