Microsoft granted patent for foldable phone that turns into tablet

Software major Microsoft is planning to come up with a 2-in-1 foldable device supported by a flexible hinge that can transform from a phone to a tablet in seconds, the company said as it applied for a new patent.

In the patent, Microsoft describes the device that aims to accomplish what a number of other companies, such as LG and Samsung, are already looking at as smartphones with foldable screens that can open up into a more tablet-like experience.

The patent applied by Microsoft went public on Monday and it describes a foldable tablet supported by a flexible hinge.

When an average consumer makes a decision to buy a device, a size of the device becomes a primary consideration. A user may purchase a mobile device having a relatively small display device to make phone calls, text, and so on.

He may buy a larger display device such as a tablet to answer emails, browser the Internet, and so on. Microsoft is patenting a 2-in-1 foldable device which can act both as a smartphone and a tablet, the company said in a statement.

Such a device would provide the portability of a smartphone along with the enhanced productivity of a larger screen, and when paired with Windows 10 on ARM would give Microsoft a significant competitive advantage over iOS and Android.

In this patent, Microsoft is describing a device that secures the plurality of housings to each other, permits the plurality of housings to rotate about an axis in relation to each other, and supports a continuous viewing area of the display device that extends across the plurality of housings and the flexible hinge structure, it said.

Samsung and LG both reportedly launching their first foldable phone in the second half 2017.