Google Pixel foldable phone might become a reality in 2021. While the Google Pixel smartphones have managed to remain some of the most interesting options on the market. Now they are making an entrance into the still immature foldable smartphone market.
A series of patents have just been discovered describing one of the most important elements for these foldable phones: the hinge. Like Samsung and Xiaomi, it seems that Google also has not finished deciding whether to opt for a folding design inward and outward.
On the one hand, the first patent shows an inward-facing display and reveals a more “traditional” or “conservative” concept. It features a deep pocket inside the hinge to accommodate a large fold radius for the flexible display that does not disappear on the outside when the device is fully open.
On the other hand, its second design features a flip-out display, making use of a multi-segment hinge. As Google explains in its paper: “In a general aspect, a hinge mechanism may include a plurality of hinge segments, arranged in a row, each hinge segment including a socket formed in the hinge segment, and a joint assembly including a plurality of ball joints, each ball joint of the plurality of ball joints being configured to movably couple a pair of adjacent hinge segments of the plurality of hinge segments, such that the pair of adjacent hinge segments are movable relative to each other. ”
So, it is worth noting that both designs were patented last July, although these documents have not been published until a few days ago. This could mean that the company might have been working for the development of a foldable Pixel.
