Vivo Foldable Phone Patent
As an innovative brand, Vivo has already launched several striking and innovative models, such as the Vivo NEX series, in addition to the special Apex 2020 concept smartphone the company showed off this year, as well as the detachable pop-up camera – Vivo IFEA, which recently won the Red Dot Design Award.
For now, the company hasn’t released a foldable phone. But that looks set to change next year. According to our earlier report last week that OPPO, Vivo, and Xiaomi will launch several foldable smartphones in the second half of 2021. Details about these folding devices have yet to be released, and the small-sided patent may give us a better idea of Vivo’s plans in the foldable category.
According to LetsGoDigital, Vivo filed a patent application with WIPO (World Intellectual Property Office) in February 2020. A 21-page document entitled “Display panel and mobile terminal” was released in October 2020. Vivo showed a foldable phone with a design somewhat similar to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. When unfolded it has a wide tablet-sized screen, with a flexible display located inside to protect the screen well.
Vivo seems to be planning to equip its foldable phone with a stylus that can be stored in the device. When the smartphone is closed, the pen can be stored where the screen folds together. This way, there is very little chance of losing the stylus. The pen tip is made of soft rubber material to prevent scratching the flexible display. The stylus has a cylindrical design and is almost the same length as the device itself.
By using a magnetic material, Vivo’s stylus stays in place when stored. At the bottom, a cleverly designed cover prevents the Pen from falling out of the case when the smartphone is folded. If the stylus is damaged, it is also possible to replace only the damaged part. This patent mainly deals with the stylus and the corresponding stylus compartment, so other design aspects of this foldable smartphone, such as the front display and camera system, remain under-exposed.
To better visualize the patent images, LetsGoDigital has created a series of Vivo Foldable Phone rendering where the foldable Vivo phone can be seen. Since it’s not at all clear what the front of the phone will look like, it’s impossible to determine how it will look visually. Unfortunately, it’s not clear from the documentation how the pen will be powered, possibly using an internal battery. It is also still unknown whether the Vivo stylus will support Bluetooth.
