Realme folding phone design patent spotted on China’s regulatory site | Tech Tips

Realme seems to be working on a folding phone. 91mobiles has spotted a patent suggesting the same on the China National Intellectual Property Administration website. This is surprising since earlier this year, the company had announced a pause on the development of foldable phones. It had its reasons, which we will get into below. But first, let’s check out the schematics on the patent and try to picture what Realme is planning.

Realme folding phone patent

The images from the patent show us Realme is going for a book-format folding phone. The patent description mentions a magnetic hinge mechanism to easily fold and unfold the device. The patent documents describe a heat dissipation solution in the folding phone that transfers heat from one side to the other, depending on temperature differences between the two halves.

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Also, both halves appear to be broad, like an actual book. So this design is different from the previous patent by the company. That one was narrower resembling a Galaxy Z Fold phone. 

Only time can tell the design Realme eventually goes for. It can also draw inspiration from its sister concerns like OnePlus, Vivo and OPPO. That brings us to the question:

Why no Realme folding phone yet

Realme India’s ex-chief Madhav Sheth had teased the brand’s intent to work on a Realme folding phone.

But then, something changed. Speaking at a conference in Thailand, Realme’s chief of marketing, Francis Wong said, “We conducted extensive testing and development on foldable technology”. But, he said, the company is concerned about ensuring the foldable mechanism withstands daily use and wear. Well, conventional folding phones are known to have wear and tear in the long run.   

This goes against the company’s “commitment to excellence” and “highest standards of quality and user experience”. So, instead of folding phones, it decided to focus its resources on areas with the most potential for “growth and innovation”.

However, as this patent hints, Realme is still pursuing the folding phones and if it manages to overcome the design challenges, we may get a Realme folding phone some time in the future. Let’s see.

The post Realme folding phone design patent spotted on China’s regulatory site first appeared on 91mobiles.com.