Surface Trio? Microsoft patents possible triple-screen smartphone design

Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

What yous need to know

• A new Microsoft patent shows a triple-screen device.
• The patent was filed dorsum in June 2022 but just became available publicly.
• The design could peradventure solve one of the biggest complaints about Surface Duo.

Update 10 PM ET 12/27: Added more context regarding the hinges and how the device folds.

When Microsoft announced its dual-screened Surface Duo, the running joke was that the visitor should make a Surface Uno next — a revolutionary smartphone with a single display. The humour went in the other management, too, with people remarking information technology could do a triple-screened handheld and call it Surface Trio.

It turns out, Microsoft was thinking the same affair.

A new patent was posted on December 23, 2022 (filed on June 23, 2022), and spotted by Patently Apple, shows Microsoft has ideas on how a triple-screen smartphone (presumably) could work.

While the patent is quite long and technical, at that place is a single drawing (seen below) associated with the idea to illustrate the concept.

The device (1400) features three displays (1402, 1404, and 1408), all connected past 2 swivel areas (1406 and 1410).

So, basically, merely Surface Duo's design plus an actress display.

What makes the concept interesting is since this is a hinged device, it tin collapse in on itself to again become a unmarried-screen form factor, east.thousand., with display 1408 facing outward all the fourth dimension when "airtight."

A closer look

Analsyis of why a 'Surface Trio' could work

Microsoft's new three-screen patent. Source: USPTO / Windows Central

Permit me connect the dots for you on why this design could exist pregnant.

One of the constant debates about Surface Duo right now is the "need" for an external display. While yous can reverse-fold Surface Duo to expose both displays all the time, like a standard phone, most people will close it when not in use, leaving no screens exposed. That likewise limits what you can see, and it is one reason I argued Microsoft should do a wearable to aid alleviate that limitation.

With Surface Duo 2, Microsoft introduced the Glance Bar to aid with notifications and more info when Surface Duo is airtight. However, information technology's still non ideal for many who desire more glanceable (and interactive) information.

Surface Duo ii'southward Glance Bar. Source: Daniel Rubino / Windows Central

With this new patent, this device folds downward into a unmarried screen device with brandish 1408 constantly exposed. It effectively becomes but a single-screen phone and solves the need for an external display, and y'all get a total, uncorrupted screen to utilize as you would.

Yet, you lot tin can now unfold this device to reveal a triple screen device, which sounds a bit weird to hold and use. Just there is a good reason to think that you lot could get out displays 1404 and 1408 folded back-to-back, leaving just display 1402 and 1404 (with 1408 backside it) exposed.

This configuration would finer create a dual-screen experience once more.

Information technology's all a chip reminiscent of the tri-fold tablet seen in the HBO prove Westworld:

Source: HBO

Indeed, looking more closely at the prototype, section 1402 seems thicker than both 1404 and 1408. In fact, information technology looks twice equally thick. That would make sense since about of the "guts," including the bombardment and photographic camera, could exist in section 1402, while the other displays (1404 and 1408) could be thinner with only a few components and wiring.

When folded dorsum-to-dorsum, both 1404 and 1408 would, ideally, equal the thickness of 1402, giving balance to the device.

It's too worth noting that these hinges appear to be unidirectional and non bidirectional like the electric current Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2. Since they exercise non need to "reverse fold" with this design, there should be no gap betwixt the displays, and instead, information technology would be i continuous screen with the drinking glass edges meeting each other.

From the patent itself:

The first and third display panels 1402, 1408 may pivot in any suitable pivot range relative to the 2d display panel 1404, via the beginning and second hinges 1406, 1410. As one example, the first and 3rd display panels 1402, 1408 may pivot such that the multi-console display device 1400 lies flat with the first and tertiary brandish panels positioned adjacent the second display console 1404. Equally another case, the first and third display panels 1402, 1408 may pivot, such that the three display panels are stacked on elevation of each other in order to reduce an overall form factor of the multi-panel brandish device 1400.

Of course, the big question is how (and what) a triple screen feel would be like were i to leave it lying apartment as the patent describes. I presume that brandish 1402 could be just all keyboards with the other two operation as screens, but it's not entirely articulate as things get weird at this level.

Either way, Microsoft is still engaging in the idea of multi-display devices, which include smartphones and laptops, either of which could potentially benefit from this design.

Still, whether Microsoft brings such a concept to the market remains to be seen. Similar many tech companies, Microsoft files for many patents, with only a few always turning into actual products.

Finally, while iii screens seem odd, Samsung is rumored to be headed in the same direction.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/surface-triple-screen-patent

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