Samsung Patents Flexible Tablet Display That Expands Screen Real Estate Dramatically

Who needs folding laptops when Samsung could be on the verge of rolling out a tablet/laptop with a horizontally rollable display? If this patent submission is eventually adapted into an actual product, it could drastically change how users interface with their devices in a few big ways. Let's dig in.
Based on a patent filed recently with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, Samsung is developing rollable display tech for what we believe to be a business tablet (a la Microsoft Surface or Apple iPad Pro). Imagine a display that can not only allow users to manually expand, but—with the aid of onboard sensors and connection states—dynamically change based on usage, user handedness, or connected devices.

The patent goes into relative detail about the potential uses for the flexible display ratio. Some standout features around the display include mounting state detection, whereby the display will alter its size based on whether the tablet is docked with a keyboard, being held in the user's hands, or when the stylus is being used or stored.


Another good one is screen mirroring, whereby the tablet will expand a portion of the screen to wirelessly mirror a paired smartphone screen. Using NFC, no cables are needed and, more crucially, allows users to manipulate their phones directly from the tablet display. Screen mirroring doesn't just stop with phones, it seems, because there's the possibility of being a remote control for Samsung SmartThings or your TV. 

The patent also mentions the ability of the display, especially in tablet mode, to sense if it's being held by a right- or left-handed user and therefore expanding the display appropriately.

Of course, patents generally never make it to a final product, but at the rate manufacturers and users are clamoring for the next new trend in flexible, foldable, and rolling displays, this filing by Samsung has a strong chance of at least influencing future retail product development, if it isn't already. It could also be a boon for full-on laptops, not just laptops that convert into a 2-in-1 device.

The fact that a tablet display can pretty much automatically adjusts to fit how you use your device is rather exciting. We're crossing our fingers on this one.