Even when Samsung introduced smartphones to his Galaxy Edge series, they hit the mark. The manufacturer now has experience in designing flexible screens. It doesn’t matter whether the displays go over the edges of the case or are completely foldable, as with the Galaxy Fold. Samsung has experience and their next design idea could be a waterfall variant.
Recently a patent appeared describing a Samsung smartphone with a display that extends over the entire edge of the case at a 90-degree angle. The design resembles the Galaxy Edge series only to a limited extent. One could say that the look shown here is inspired by it, but nothing more. Because the previous curvatures of Galaxy phones were not so angular, but more curved and flowing. Contrary to this description, the patent design is more like a waterfall – hence the name.
Looking back
Five years ago, the South Korean manufacturer launched a special edition of the Galaxy Note 4 called Galaxy Note Edge. It had a strongly curved and large display curvature, so that DeepL accesses, notifications and mini apps could also be accommodated there. Starting with the S6 Edge, this curvature was introduced on both sides of the screen, but they were smaller. Gradually, the Edge screen shrank and no notifications or mini apps can be placed there anymore.
With a waterfall display, Samsung would bring a comeback to the functional side of a screen bent over the edge. Again you could park there notifications or DeepL accesses. The patent was filed by the manufacturer with the patent authorities USPTO, WIPO and KIPO in mid-2017. It was now approved on November 19, 2019.
Smartphones are wiped out
In Samsung’s sketches, bars are visible at the front above and below the display. These include components such as the speaker, the earcup and the front cameras. In 2017 no in-display camera had been planned. Whether this has now changed remains to be seen. The render images of the design come from the Dutch portal LetsGoDigital and not from Samsung itself.
Smartphones have really been a little trite in recent years. With the Foldables one leaned far out of the window and dared something new, for the broad mass they are not however conceived. In order to keep the traditional form attractive, new design ideas are needed. Such a display, bent by 90 degrees, could do just that.
However, a patent does not necessarily mean that the device will be launched on the market. I find the idea interesting, but I don’t know how to hold the smartphone at all. But the Vivo Nex 3 already has a waterfall screen, so there must be a market for it. Other manufacturers such as Oppo and Xiaomi are also using up the space on the sides of the case in their concept smartphones.
