Samsung appears to be working on a new tablet featuring a blade-like design and a built-in stand. That’s based on reports stemming from a patent recently filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Spotted by New Delhi-based 91mobiles, the patent doesn’t give away too many details about the screen resolution or size. But it does provide quite a bit of information pointing to a unique overall design.
To begin with, the patent images showcase a tablet that starts out thicker at the top edge in landscape mode. That tapers to a thinner edge at the bottom. The tablet itself would undoubtedly be thicker all around as well. And that’s because the back half is actually a hinged stand, showing a slight gap at the top when folded up. Unfolded, the stand can be extended to about a 30-degree angle.
The purpose of that is to provide users a built-in method for propping the tablet on a given surface. That allows for hands-free viewing and media consumption.
It isn’t just the built-in stand or shape that makes this Samsung tablet unique
Looking past this proposed Samsung tablet design’s hinged built-in stand, there’s actually quite a bit more here that makes the design unique. To begin with, the design shows a large hole at the center of the stand itself. That could be intended as a grip for users or it could simply be decorative.
Whether the device is folded or opened up, there’s also a distinct difference between the top and bottom edges. It’s fairly obvious this tablet is meant for use in landscape mode since the top end — containing the hinge — is smoothly rounded off. The power and volume keys are found on that edge too. The bottom edge, by contrast, ends more sharply.
Ports and plugs — USB-C, microSD, and 3.5mm audio — are tucked between the hinged back panel and the display. More directly, they’re set in from the edge on the back of the display and separate from the hinged stand.
There’s another component marked in that edge too, which appears to be a speaker. It’s not immediately clear whether that feature would be along both left- and right-hand edges. In stand mode, Samsung appears to incorporate at least one camera, coupled with associated sensors. But there’s no indication of a world-facing or rear-facing camera.
One big drawback to the design, aside from the gap that’s apparent when it’s folded into a tablet instead of a stand, are its bezels. While those can be useful for providing a place to grip, they do appear a bit larger than would be desirable in the design.
Samsung may not ever build this but, given the Galaxy Fold, it’s not out of the question
A couple of years ago, a design such as the one shown in Samsung’s patent might have seemed farfetched. With the advent of the Samsung Galaxy Fold, it doesn’t — although Samsung may still never release this tablet. The new design seems to be built on a similar hinge to that other device for starters.
The primary difference is in the fact that the hinge stops from folding all the way flat. And a screen isn’t used over the entire design — relegated to just one half.
