Looks like Google is thinking of a folding screen all its own

A recent patent application by Google suggests the search giant to experiment with a foldable display technology, similar to the visible panels on the Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold. The deposit, spotted by Obviously mobile, describes a method of constructing an OLED panel that can be repeatedly folded and used in a "modern computing device".

What's interesting here is that Google does not produce screens and it's not the kind of company that makes its own handsets. Like Apple with its iPhones, Google would entrust the manufacture of Pixel 3 to Foxconn, while HTC and LG share the same manufacturing tasks on Pixel 2 phones. This does not mean that it is impossible for a product based on this patent to emerge, but simply that, if any, it will probably be because Google has licensed it to a third party rather than producing a collapsible product. the screen itself.

The patent goes on to imagine a possible folding device that can be folded in two different places – a "foldable Z-shaped screen" – without breaking, thanks to what looks like a reduced number of layers needed during the construction of the machine. screen of the device. However, we are not experts in manufacturing.

It's not clear if Google would ever build such a thing or why we would not want a Z-fold, but the ability to fold foldable phones is definitely an open question. Samsung's Galaxy Fold withstands "hundreds of thousands" of wrinkles, while Gorilla Glass's manufacturer, Corning, is developing a foldable glass screen that, hopefully, will be more durable than existing plastic solutions.

It is important to mention that the Google patent does not even mention the word "phone" once. Instead, it refers to how the screen could be used by "modern computing devices". It sounds like phones, but it could also be tablets or even laptops, assuming Google still works on tablets and laptops. .

Google's interest in foldable smartphones is until now focused on the software aspect of their design. He added support for folding screens on Android last November and also worked with Samsung to make Android the operating system of the Galaxy Fold. It is clear that foldable phones are important to the future of Android and that Google seems to be interested in both hardware and software.