IT Home December 29 news, according to onMSFT reported that Microsoft continues to develop dual-screen smartphones in 2021 and next, but the company seems to want to attract users with three-screen phones in the near future.
A patent filed on June 23, 2020, was made public last week and was recently discovered by Patently Apple, demonstrating the concept of the Surface Duo, which would look like if it had a second hinge to accommodate a third screen.
The patent may seem ridiculous at a time when foldable phones haven't yet taken their place in the minds of consumers, but Microsoft's patent may actually help its vision of foldable phones become a reality sooner than others.
The patent itself details hinge degree, parallel shafts, elongated magnets, magnetic shields, Hall-effect sensors, etc., and comes with pictures, from the appearance, Microsoft hopes to add a 2/3 size display, which can be used as a multi-function screen.
It has been mentioned that the screen acts as a keyboard, trackpad, or game controller in different use cases, however, its most useful feature may simply be an outward-facing screen, similar to the new hotspot of the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
IT Home has learned that Microsoft's Surface Duo phone naturally competes with Samsung's Galaxy Fold phone, which does offer an external display for easier instant access to content, while the lack of an external display on Duo phones has sparked some controversy when viewing notifications.
The new patent, if properly executed, could help the Surface Duo keep pace with phones like the Samsung Galaxy Fold, or even jump up.
Since the three screens fold over each other, with the top screen acting as a more traditional single display, those who occasionally or often want a larger tablet-style screen will have the maximum flexibility of any foldable product on the market today.
Microsoft has shown that it can make robust hinges, and while the patent's hinges are unidirectional, unlike the two-way hinges of the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2, it's safe to assume that they will be in place just like the Surface Duo's hinges.
Microsoft's patents have been visualized by the props team for the HBO show Westworld, and microsoft's version will be very similar to it, except for the aspect ratio.
While exciting, there are still some issues to consider, such as battery, weight, cooling, memory management, how microsoft launchers or android in general will present a three-screen experience, and so on.
However, in the form of its interpretation, the new patent will help Microsoft overcome some of the drawbacks of what it sees as the Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2.
Microsoft has expressed support for its choice of dual-screen folding plus single-screen to better mimic the dual-monitor experience of many people's personal computing setups at work or at home. The question now is how many people will take advantage of the triple-screen setup to create a better experience in the mobile space.