There’s an outside chance that Microsoft could re-enter the phone market, thanks to a patent that surfaces showing a 360-degree foldable phone design.
Published on October 1 after filing in February with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)the patent shows what appears to be a notebook-style phone that folds horizontally like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. Like that phone, Microsoft’s folds flat, with a cover display – although we can’t say what size this is or indeed the main screen.
If MSPoweruser According to reports, the patent shows that the foldable device has slots in the glass cover layer and the back plate to allow an easy and smooth bending action in the screen, thus avoiding creases, which can damage even the best foldable phones.
However, what could set a future foldable phone from Microsoft apart from the likes of the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold and the OnePlus Open is that it can fold in either direction. This could make for a foldable phone that’s literally more flexible than its contemporaries and could have expanded its use cases, such as popping up as a mini display for watching Netflix movies while traveling.
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While the patent obviously doesn’t hint at possible specifications for this proposed Microsoft foldable phone or many other details, I think Microsoft could be a good candidate for introducing some innovation in the field of foldable phones.
Sure, the Surface Duo, Microsoft’s pseudo-folding phone, was a bit of a flop, perhaps because of its reliance on Android. I think a foldable device – phone or tablet – from Microsoft that could make better use of its own software platform and ecosystem, which could have appeal as a productivity-oriented device.
For example, if you have a foldable phone that could, say, dual-boot Android for the phone side and then Windows for the compact tablet side, this could provide access to some of Microsoft’s best software: Word for productivity, Xbox for gaming, and a whole range of other software. third party software for all kinds of other recordings. This would require the right chip, but Microsoft has made some progress running Windows on Qualcomm’s ARM-based chips, as seen in our Surface Laptop 7 review – a laptop that uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon X platform.
Of course, this is just my speculation and there is a good chance that this patent will never become a reality. But if Microsoft ever decides to get back into the phone arena, I think foldable is the way to go.