In the times when major smartphone brands are coming up with new designs and specs, Vivo does not want to be left behind in bringing out a trendsetting design in a smartphone. Vivo is all set to join the foldable phone club along with Samsung and Motorola. The company’s latest patent sheds light on what kind of design we will get to see on its first attempt at a foldable smartphone.
Bottom Folding Display On Vivo Phone
91Mobiles first spotted the latest patent by Vivo on a Chinese patent website called the CNIPA. The patent file also carried some intricate details regarding the foldable design that Vivo could probably adapt. The most striking detail comes from a vivid design approach that Vivo may take, as per the patent filed. Unlike Samsung’s foldable phone, Vivo’s phone would not fold in half but instead, unfold from the bottom.
Although the patent does not share the screen’s dimensions, the diagrams suggest that the foldable display on Vivo’s phone would add to the length of the front screen by 25%. Notably, the back-folding display could also double as a secondary display at the rear. The dual-display functionality could allow users to use the rear camera setup as a selfie camera too!
Furthermore, the patent does not disclose any detail concerning the selfie camera. Not even in the diagrams. The lack of selfie camera mention could mean that it’s either tucked under-display or not present at all. It could mean that Vivo might just offer a rear camera setup that shall double as a selfie camera, thanks to the foldable display’s rear-folding part.
Where Will Vivo Place The Charging Port?
As exciting as it may look, we feel that this design comes with its own set of drawbacks. There is a hinge placed at the bottom of the phone to enable flexibility of the display, which may make the entire unit more prone to damages or even scratches.
This design may also push the USB Type-C port to the top edge or push Vivo to include only wireless charging for the device. In case the brand goes with the top-positioned charging port, it would be too much of a change for users who are habitual with a bottom-positioned port. Another issue with the design would be that it may be challenging for users to operate the phone with a single hand.
Bottom Folding Design Has Advantages Too
Well, there are also some upsides to having a bottom folding design. A longer display would enhance the viewing for vertical content, especially when the social media is going crazy with short video content like Instagram’s Reels or TikTok. All such videos would look great on Vivo’s patented design for a foldable phone.
We also like the fact that users can just tuck back the extended part of the foldable display. This design factor would enable Vivo to come up with more compact foldable phones in the future. And that’s something we would love to see because we think that smartphones do need to be handy.
As much as we like what Vivo filed in a patent, it’s worth noting that the company may or may not work on the design. You see, patents are just patents at the end of the day, and it is a usual practice for brands to file several patents and work on only a handful of them.
Vivo is rumored to launch a foldable phone by the second half of this year, which means that the company will have to finalize the design soon. It would be amazing to see the brand bring the patented design to life. Until then, we will be on the lookout for more info concerning the same. Stay tuned with us!
