Every company needs at least a patent for a folding phone these days, and today a patent has been uncovered by LetsGoDigital for Sharp’s unique vision for such a device.

Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha applied for a patent in 2017 at the USPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) for a ‘handheld electronic device’. The design patent was published on 2 April 2019 and shows a foldable clamshell smartphone with two under-screen control surfaces (the circled areas) which suggest game controls with haptic and pressure-sensitive features.

The device features an extremely widescreen with a two-part case design with a bending segment and can also be used in a slightly closed version which makes it easier to hold.

Sharp is of course not a household names for phones these days, but folding screens is providing new opportunities for companies to re-enter the market, so we may very well see such a unique device hit the shelves somewhere, at the very least in Asia.

The patent can be seen here.