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Samsung goes Gumby, patents a stretchable phone/tablet/watch

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Jun 30, 2016, 5:24 AM

Samsung Display

Samsung goes Gumby, patents a stretchable phone/tablet/watch

Lenovo might have been pretty adamant to showcase its bendable wrist phone when its Moto subsidiary was announcing the Moto Z and Z Force flagships, but it's clear that the contraption is pretty much still a proof of concept, and nowhere near ready for mass production.

Samsung, however, is not only at the forefront of flexible display production, but the rumor is that it will have an actual bendable phone on the market by early next year. Or, would it be a stretchable one? Frankly, we don't know just yet, as Samsung has cornered pretty much every shape and form you can do with a flexible phone display, and the latest patent application only adds up to the mix.

It depicts a shape-shifting phone with with separate element that might house the non-flexible electronic parts, which can be bent around your wrist as a smartwatch, unfolded from the sides to become a tablet, or the bracelet shape straighten up a bit to act as a headset with the top part hooked to your ear, and the bottom reaching down to your mouth. All grand ideas, and we can't wait to see what Samsung has in store for us with its first bendable phone next year.

Samsung's new flexible phone patents

source: Kipris.or.kr (PDF) via GalaxyClub.nl (translated)

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.