Flip Phones Coming in 2017

According to reports in the foreign media, the little flip phone is to make a comeback in 2017. According to several patent filings in the US, South Korea, Japan and China, the world’s tech manufacturers are all moving in this direction. 

The first report that was leaked to the media was that Samsung was ploughing money into the development of a clamshell phone with a foldable screen. Dubbed the Galaxy X foldable phone, the new hybrid device is to make an appearance in the latter half of this year, Digital Trends writes. 

The Seoul-based phone maker patented the name and designs for the phone which will likely take the Galaxy brand in an entirely new direction. 

A few days later, another patent was spotted by one Twitter user, saying that LG – Samsung’s biggest competitor – is also designing its way to a flip phone. 

According to the designs of that phone, the phone’s display will fold down over what looks to be a keyboard section of the device. 

Indeed, it seems that expectations are high for both Samsung and LG’s versions of these devices, as experts are anticipating flip phones to double as tablets. 

Such technology has already been demoed (it made its debut at Lenovo Tech World last June), so it certainly wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility for something like this to come to fruition this year.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is also heading in the direction of creating a device with a folding screen according to designs leaked to the press. 

According to their patent application, Microsoft’s angle is to develop a phone which turns into a fully fledged tablet phone. 

What makes the patent unique compared with the Korean competitors is that the proposed Microsoft device has a locking hinge mechanism. 

Unlike the South Korean companies, which mainly run their phones on Google’s Android operating system, Microsoft would likely offer a full Windows 10 experience akin to their surface range of laptops.