Chinese Display Manufacturer Visionox Patents Foldable Device
2019 is looking to be a huge year for foldable smartphones, with companies like Samsung and Huawei already standing strong in the arena. Brands like Motorola, LG and Apple also have their foldable smartphones in development, as per reports. Xiaomi also reported that it is working on a foldable device in collaboration with another Chinese company. The company’s information wasn’t disclosed by Xiaomi, but recently, the name of the organization was discovered by sources, and it is Visionox Technology.
About Visionox
The company has been manufacturing OLED screens for various brands across China, and it is reportedly developing a flexible AMOLED display for Xiaomi’s next foldable smartphone. A subsidiary of Visionox, Yungu (Gu’an) Technology filed a patent for design with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO), which was published in the Global Design Database on March 1, 2019.
About The Patent
The patent shows a foldable smartphone with the display on the outside of the device. However, the display does not seem to be flexible, since two different screens are clearly visible with a gap in between for the hinge. The design of the phone is similar to the ZTE Axon M. The main difference between both the smartphone designs is the presence of rounded corners on the ZTE device, which seems to be non-existent on Visionox’s display. Furthermore, Visionox’s screen is completely straight in the middle section, which gives it some resemblance to a tablet of sorts. Top and bottom bezels are prominent in the device, and a camera appears to be present on both the right and left side in the top bezel, right next to the earpiece.
Also Read: Samsung Is Readying Two More Foldable Phones
Visionox may or may not collaborate with Xiaomi on this device, considering that the patent for the foldable smartphone has been published for Visionox, not Xiaomi. Since ZTE is also one of Visionox’s partners, the ‘foldable display’ design may be witnessed on a ZTE offering. Regarding the availability of the device, no details are present as of now.
The patent for the foldable device can be viewed here
