Microsoft may enter the foldable phones battle with a 360-degree rotating device, new patent reveals

Microsoft has filed a patent for what looks like a foldable phone that could rotate 360 degrees. Initially filed in February 2021, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has recently published a 38-page document on October 1, 2024, detailing Microsoft’s ideas on how this device looks like.

In its application, Microsoft describes a device that can fold 360 degrees and can take the form of a tablet, a laptop, or another computing apparatus.

The new gadget features a rear cover, a glass layer, and a light-emitting layer in between. These devices include special slots in both the cover glass layer and backplate to help them bend easily and smoothly without creases, even when folded.

Furthermore, the Redmond company has developed a method for folding the device in different directions, allowing the left and right sides of the cover glass to face each other or turn away from each other.

Microsoft says that the devices use laser modification and wet etching to create such smooth transitions for the device to rotate like that without creases, and, at the same time, maintain the structure of the touch display module.

Here’s what it looks like when folded in 0, 180, 300, and 360 degrees:

It’s not Microsoft’s first entry with the idea of a foldable, though, as we’ve seen the rise and fall of the Surface Duo devices, with the first generation launching in 2020 at $1,399. The latest and final Surface Duo 2 was released in 2021 and discontinued two years later, despite rumors of a Surface Duo 3 device that has now officially been canceled.

Speaking of the Surface Duo 3 device, another patent application from Microsoft surfaced online a while ago back in June, which reveals the design of the canceled smartphone.

Codenamed “Neon,” the device would have featured a folding screen, an external cover display, and magnetic accessories, including a kickstand that attaches in various orientations. It was designed with a 180-degree hinge and a triple-camera array. That said, the new patent reveals a different device.

And it seems like the battle of foldable devices has reignited once again. Huawei Mate XT, a tri-fold smartphone, has just been launched last month with over 3 million pre-orders, and Apple is yet to enter the foldable phones arena. Most foldable phones we’ve seen so far can only fold inward, which makes this whole 360-folding mechanism sound really promising.

So, will this be a better execution of a Surface Duo device? Will this be something else? Let us know what you think in the comments below!