Microsoft’s New Patent Reveals a Foldable Phone-to-tablet Mobile Device

Microsoft is planning to patent a device with a flexible hinge and display that has the potential TO transform a phone into a tablet. Patent filings discovered by MSPoweruser reveal that Microsoft is, at least, experimenting with this type of concept for a future mobile device. After looking at the accompanying notes and diagrams we found that it looks like a large smartphone that can fold over and transform into a tablet form factor or even the tent mode very similar to Lenovo Yoga tablets. Microsoft first filed this phone patent in October 2014.

In this patent, Microsoft is describing a device that is flexible and is supported by a flexible hinge structure 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.

While companies patent thousands of inventions but many never make it into final products. The inventor of this foldable device is listed as Kabir Siddiqui, who has also successfully patented Microsoft’s Surface kickstand and Surface camera angle previously.

Microsoft’s Surface Studio device leaked out months in advance thanks to patent filings that revealed the exact design of the company’s 2-in-1 PC. It’s unlikely that this is the final design of a rumored Surface Phone, but this type of concept device could provide some clues to how Microsoft is looking at smartphones and mobile devices after its exit from the smartphone market last year.