Samsung Galaxy Watch with a rollable display could be rolling out in the future
Samsung could be planning to launch a smartwatch with a rollable display according to revealing patents uncovered that suggest the Galaxy Watch makers are working on a new wearable form factor.
The folks at Lets Go Digital spied the patent in question, which was filed at the World Intellectual Property office on 2 June 2021 and was published on 9 December 2021. The documents attached to it were for an ‘Electronic device comprising rollable display and display method therefor’.
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The patent and accompanying illustrations describe a watch with semi circular touchscreen displays with a frame that sits in between the two screens. When you press the physical button on the side of the case, you’ll then be able to swipe the screen to its larger form.
Interestingly, it describes enabling wearers to roll out one or both screens and that different features and apps can be assigned to the different screens. So it shows off one side of the screen displaying the time and weather and the other offering the ability to activate the camera.
That brings us to the next interesting point, which is the housing of a camera that sits in that middle frame between the screens and would be capable of capturing photos and videos. We haven’t seen a Samsung smartwatch with a camera since since the Galaxy Gear, which launched back in 2013.
As always, we should keep in mind that this is a patent and like all big, innovative companies, patents get filed and published all of the time. Some become reality, some remain a pipe dream or maybe just can’t be executed.
We know Samsung has already flexed its design muscles with foldable displays on its smartphones. It also introduced the Gear S smartwatch in 2017 with a curved AMOLED screen. So it’s not afraid to try out some different things on the smartwatch design front.
We’ve also seen other smartwatch makers get creative with smartwatch form factors with ZTE’s zany Nubia Watch with its wraparound screen one that definitely springs to mind.
It wouldn’t be at all surprising if Samsung did try to flip the script with the look of its smartwatches. As long it still delivers strong experience from the wrist, we’re all for something that looks a little different to the Apple, Fitbit, Huawei and Wear OS watches of this world.
