Motorola was the first to market with a flip phone that had a bendable screen. The Motorola RAZR clamshell made its debut in 2019. With a more powerful chipset, a reworked design, and an updated user interface on the way in 2022, the Motorola RAZR 3 is slated to be released. In the future, it’s possible that the company will release few more foldable phone models. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is an example of a foldable phone that opens like a book.
Apart from Samsung, Xiaomi, and Huawei – Motorola is developing a phone that is totally made up of a touchscreen display.
A new camera user interface for Motorola RAZR flip phones was revealed last week by LetsGoDigital. As far as I can tell, it appears like the company is developing new smartphone technologies. This time, the company has submitted a patent application for a smartphone with a wrap-around display, in which the screen covers the entire device. While this isn’t the first time that a smartphone’s screen wraps around the entire body, it is nonetheless a noteworthy development.
In 2019, Xiaomi launched the Mi Mix Alpha with a ‘Surround Display’ technology. As a follow-up, the company filed a number of patents for comparable smartphone models. Last year, LG also seemed to be working on a flexible wrap-around screen for a phone. The likes of Samsung, Huawei, Honor, and Oppo are also rumored to be working on similar smartphones. There’s now a Motorola option on the list.
Motorola’s new take on touchscreen foldables
It’s about two patents. In June of 2020, Motorola Mobility LLC filed a patent application with the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) for a ‘Unitary pre-formed fascia covering at least two sides of an electronic device housing and accompanying processes and devices’. According to this document, which was approved and published on December 23, 2021, the manufacturing procedure for a smartphone that incorporates an all-screen design is described in great detail.
An update pertaining to the same item was filed by the manufacturer in August of this year. Some new user options are discussed under ‘Methods and systems for modifying virtual button configurations exhibited on one or more displays of an electronic device’.’ The 23rd of December, 2021, saw the release of this patent as well.
DPMA (German Patent and Trademark Office) as well as WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) have received the same material that Motorola has submitted in Germany in order to protect the protected technology globally.
One big flexible display covers the front, both sides, and the full back of this Motorola phone. Physical buttons have been omitted due to the presence of a touch display on the sides. To compensate, new “virtual” buttons have been included. It is only seen at its highest and lowest points that the device’s metal frame is exposed.
The SIM card slot and a USB-C port are both accessible from the bottom. A microphone and a speaker are also located at the bottom of the device. The top of the phone has an additional microphone and speaker, as well as a power button. The location of the camera system is unknown. It’s possible that the company will employ an under-display camera.
In addition, the patent description mentions both touch and stylus pen usage. A flexible screen and stylus support isn’t out of the question for Motorola’s future smartphones, as the company already has a number of devices that can be used with such devices.
Virtual buttons provide new possibilities
Of course, a phone that is totally made up of a display is quite appealing to the eye. Many, though, will quickly consider the drawbacks: all that glass will break down more faster, for example. These phones will be far more expensive than other traditional devices, but that is to be expected. It goes without saying that the repair expenses of a flexible screen are also astronomical. A new question is now being asked, “What is this device’s added value?”
There are various features that Motorola has developed for this unique display gadget that will make it more useful to the end user. When we say this, we’re not referring about the stylus’s features. When you have the gadget in your pocket or handbag, this largely applies.
There are a number of sensors that can tell if a phone is in a pocket, including a motion sensor, temperature sensor, and a Gravity-sensor.
Taking the phone out of your pocket doesn’t matter because it has a display on every side. Interface adjustments are made automatically when sensors detect that a phone is being pulled out of a pocket The virtual buttons are repositioned based on how the device is held, as well as the interface. That way, you’ll never have to flip your smartphone again.
You don’t even have to remove the gadget from your pocket if you want to answer swiftly. The virtual buttons are automatically positioned at the end of the gadget when the device is tapped. Especially useful when you’re in the middle of a conversation with someone and your phone rings. You don’t even have to take your phone out of your pocket to reject this.
However, it appears that the additional capabilities offered by such a gadget are somewhat restricted. As of this writing, Xiaomi’s Mi Mix Alpha is the only officially released phone with a wrap-around display. Priced at more than € 2,550, the gadget was available in stores in 2019. However, despite the fact that this particular model was never made available for sale, it is evident that such devices will never be popular with the general public as long as their prices are so prohibitively high.
It’s worth noting, though, that the bulk of smartphone makers are working on devices with wrap-around displays. It’s believed that, despite their high cost, flexible screens for smartphones will become increasingly popular in the next years. This will unquestionably lower the price and open up new possibilities in the future.
The Motorola name is increasingly being used by Lenovo to position itself as a cutting-edge smartphone manufacturer. Consider the Motorola Moto Edge X30, which was just released. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and the new Android 12 operating system make this the first smartphone to feature a 144Hz display and a 60MP camera under the display. All of this came at a cost of around USD 630 in today’s money.
