Sunday Times 2
Samsung files patent for a phone with two screens
The mobile communications technology race has taken an interesting turn with the release of plans for a smartphone with a dual display.
Tech giant Samsung has filed a patent for a phone with two interconnected touchscreens that can display two independent applications, or work together to give the user an enhanced experience in gaming, reading e-books, conference calls, web browsing and multi-tasking.
Pictures of the device have been filed with the U.S. Patent Office and show the potential benefits of the technology.
A model holds Samsung's first 'curved' smartphone Galaxy Round (AFP)
Samsung’s filing contained more than a hundred patent figures broken into distinct categories such as calendars, photo cataloging and many more, reports Patentbolt.
The dual displays are connected by a hinge, which allows the as-yet-unnamed device to stand freely, similar to the rigid covers used by tablet owners.
This provides exciting gaming opportunities, as users can sit around a table with one screen visible to them and one on display to their opponents.
In terms of photos, the phone can display an image on one screen and photomanipulation tools on the other, allowing easy retouching.
The two screens could also display images and video across both screens for a more immersive experience.
The images in the patent filing also show an enhanced conference call function, where the participants’ faces are shown at the top of the screen, while other data, such as a business presentation or scientific data, is displayed along the bottom.
It also acts as an e-reader, where the user can hold the two screens with text on both displays, a experience more akin to reading an actual book than usually afforded by conventional e-readers
Last month Samsung promised to introduce devices with fully folding displays to the general market in 2015.
© Daily Mail, London