A rollable Samsung Galaxy Watch? New patent suggests it's possible

A rollable Samsung Galaxy Scout? New patent suggests it's possible

(Image credit: Future)

Samsung already produces some of the best foldable phones. Then why non have its screen-bending powers to smartwatches, with a rollable display coming to some future Galaxy Lookout 4 successor?

That seems to be a distinct possibility for Samsung cheers to a patent filed back in June that just came to light this calendar week. The patent, filed with the Globe Intellectual Property Office (WIPO), describes a 2-function Galaxy Lookout display that users will exist able to pull out, creating more screen space. The patent was spotted by Dutch blog LetsGoDigital.

There's no indication that whatever such device is office of Samsung's smartphone plans. Patents merely reflect companies safeguarding designs and technologies, non a roadmap for time to come product development. In other words, Samsung may exist tinkering with a rollable smartwatch display, but that's no guarantee it ever sees the low-cal of day.

Samsung Galaxy Watch with rollable display patent — (Prototype credit: Let'sGoDigital)

That said, we're intrigued by the display described in the patent application. According to LetsGoDigital, the display is fabricated up of two separate parts that y'all can pull apart when you lot need more screen space, adjusting the size with the watch's digital crown. The Galaxy Watch would expand from the middle; when fully extended, you'd be looking at a 40% larger screen.

While smartwatches tin be helpful for at-a-glance info, their small displays can go far hard to await at more detailed information and big passages of block text. Presumably, expanding that infinite with a rollable display would requite you a larger viewing area.

At that place could exist other reasons to add an expandable display to smartwatches, though. LetsGoDigital describes a split-screen consequence where different parts of the screen could serve different functions — controls on the smaller part of the display, for example, to operate an app on the larger portion.

In addition, the heart of the rollable display would business firm a camera capable of shooting photos and recording video. The photographic camera would exist in the watch's centre frame, and you'd slide open the brandish to actuate it.

Samsung's fabricated in-roads in the smartwatch earth with the Galaxy Spotter 4, currently one of the all-time smartwatches for Android. Samsung worked with Google to develop a version of WearOS that can run on the spotter while maintaining elements of Samsung's own Tizen software. The Milky way Watch 4 has also proven to offer its share of valuable features, making information technology a worthwhile alternative to the Apple Watch.

As noted, it's unclear only how serious Samsung is about rollable displays for its smartwatch. But such a feature would certainly help Samsung stand out even more among wearables makers.

Philip Michaels is a senior editor at Tom's Guide. He has stiff opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics and erstwhile movies. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.