Days after Vivo made headlines with its outrageous patent for a smartphone with a flying camera, the Chinese smartphone brand has come up with yet another unconventional concept. We have come across a patent filing by Vivo that indicates it is working on a smartphone that can transform itself into a tablet by attaching itself to an external display.
From the patent documents, it isn’t entirely clear how Vivo plans to do this. At the outset, it looked like the external display had a “hole-in-the-middle” design (which would be filled up by the phone screen). However, we think it could also be a snap-on display that attaches to the phone from the front (and obscuring the phone screen entirely).
Take a look at some of the images from the patent filing below.
Either way, one thing is certain that this method of boosting screen real estate isn’t really practical when you’re out traveling since it means you will also need to lug around the external display with you all the time.
It could be attractive when you’re at home or office, though where you can attach the display as and when needed. Of course, people may simply choose to keep the display attached at all times and simply use it as a tablet – but then isn’t it just easier to buy a tablet then?
Note that the phone can be used as a normal smartphone and features an under-display front camera. The image on the patent document also shows a USB-C port as well as the physical volume rockers and power/lock buttons on the side. Neither the phone nor the external display attachment had provision for a 3.5mm jack.
Also Read: Vivo Filed a Patent for Flip Camera
Since this is a patent filing, we are unsure if this product would ever make it to production. But there is no denying that this indeed is an interesting choice of design and will definitely be a head-turner if releases!
What do you think about this Vivo smartphone? Let us know in the comments section below. Stay tuned to our page by subscribing to our newsletter, and don’t forget to join our telegram channel for regular news and updates.
