Microsoft: A surface phone with foldable screen?

While Microsoft's Pro Surface 5 is still waiting, a new patent from the manufacturer suggests that it would soon launch into the smartphone market.


On January 10, Microsoft filed a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). This is to protect the use of a technology that can fold a tablet on itself to turn it into a smartphone, with a single flexible screen. Spotted by the MS Power User site, this patent defines a tablet with a large flexible screen and a foldable frame in the middle. Once the screen is closed, the tablet could also serve as a phablette and be used as a smartphone with a more compact format, or folded on itself, to protect the screen.

The concept is reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy X expected by the end of the year. The Samsung smartphone would indeed adopt a classic smartphone format with big screen at first glance, but could also be folded on itself, in the manner of clamshell smartphones. Unlike the patented Microsoft tablet, the Galaxy X screen would however be protected only inside and not also outside the device when folded.

It is for the moment a simple patent filed by the firm of Redmond and there is no indication that such a device will be marketed in the more or less long term. By then, the manufacturer should lift the veil on its next Surface, potentially before this summer.