Samsung is already thinking past foldable smartphones with magnetic modular devices

Even though the Royole FlexPai gets the tag of the world’s first foldable smartphone, everyone is patiently awaiting Samsung’s version of the same in 2019. Oddly, even though Samsung has yet to launch its first foldable smartphone , a patent which was published earlier this month reveals that the electronics giant is already cooking up its next big smartphone design trend.

First reported by LetsGoDigital , Samsung filed a patent for a smartphone (or smartphones) with a rather unique form factor. The patent that was filed by Samsung at the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) in June 2018 and was published this month.

The unique design uses not one, but two smartphones that are held together using magnets. While both the smartphones look similar, it’s easy to spot that only one primary device sports a camera.

Both devices stick to each other using magnets housed inside the smartphone. When placed side by side with the front displays facing towards you, the patent reveals three magnets inside each smartphone, with the primary smartphone (with the camera) featuring two magnets at the left top and bottom corners and a larger magnet that stretches from the top to the bottom on the right side. The secondary smartphone has a similar arrangement but on the opposite sides.

This odd arrangement of magnets lets you use the two phones as a pair as you like.

Need a bigger display for browsing the web or watching a movie (although in an odd square ratio)? Just snap the two phones side by side and they turn into one big display.

Need to click a picture? Just stack them one over the other.

Need to click a selfie? Just flip the phone over and slide the secondary display below because there’s always two displays to play around with.

Need more space to view a long chat thread? Flip the secondary unit’s display to face yourself and you now have the second display stacked below the primary phone as a keyboard.

And you can just stack them one over the other to reduce the footprint and place the device in your pocket.

The idea sure sounds really cool. And reduces the need to have the rather complicated (and not to mention expensive) foldable display to join the two panels. But it sure sounds a bit complicated to use because it needs two hands to assemble, which you as an owner will be doing frequently.

Indeed, we will have to wait and see if Samsung does bring out this magnetic modular take on smartphone and mobile design in the years to come. If not, this could just be an idea that was shelved and patented just in case smartphones with foldable displays don’t take off (lack consumer interest or are simply too expensive). Eitherways, Samsung sure has something new here and it is definitely a more practical take to the modular smartphone than what Motorola has achieved with its Mods. RIP Project Ara!