After Microsoft, Samsung and Huawei have been working on foldable phones for a while, patenting them and leaking them partially, Oppo joins the gang in glorious fashion. A couple of their patents have just come out and they mention foldables.
Oppo is already an innovative firm, having unveiled the Oppo Find X, with its sliding part and over the last couple of years coming up with inventions like VOOC fast charge and 5X optical zoom phone cameras. Oppo and sister company Vivo have been innovating a lot and Vivo for example inaugurated the in display fingerprint scanner technology.
Regarding the foldable smartphone thing, the device we see here ditches any sort of seam between screens. The two displays complete each other perfectly and make one unified shell at the back side, with no visible crease. The hinge is surprisingly discrete, according to the patent. A rotating mechanism is also proposed, according to a patent filed by Oppo with WIPO on March 22nd 208.
A “rotation mechanism and foldable mobile terminal” have been mentioned. Another patent for a hinge assembly also made it out. Oppo demanded an early publication of the patents from WIPO, so something is certainly brewing there. We also see a version like a pull out couch, with a pull out screen, which triples the viewing space. We actually get a triple display setup here.
A sort of clamshell also appears with an “airbag” mechanism and a very long portrait format. The airbag thing requires an elastic element installed within the sides of the phone. When the smartphone gets unfolded the trapped air will be moved, so that’s why the airbag approach happens. Seeing how Oppo has innovated lately, I wouldn’t be surprised if they come up with a commercial product before the year end.
Samsung Galaxy X and Microsoft Andromeda may be beaten before they even come out.
