Samsung patent teases rollable smartphone with a movable camera

Samsung Display has been awarded a new design patent for a display device, with the patent originally filed back on January 10, 2022, now registered with the US Designs IP Portal, for a repositionable camera system.

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The refreshed patent teases an improved camera placement within the display, which could land in smartphones, tablets, and other devices. A moveable camera system on a Samsung smartphone would make a lot of sense, similar to the 2019 release from Samsung and its Galaxy A80 smartphone with a single camera system that popped up and featured a rotating mechanism for selfies.

There is a high R&D cost associated with a rotating camera system on a smartphone, and the larger commercial success might not be worth it in the long run. It could be a gimmick and people would use it, but just how popular would it be? I'm sure we'll see it on a future foldable smartphone from Samsung in the years to come.

The new patent from Samsung teases:

• The patent describes a display device equipped with a dual-position camera mechanism.
• It showcases one configuration where the camera system is positioned on the front and another where it moves to the back.
• This repositionable design eliminates the need for separate front and rear camera modules, allowing the same setup to capture high-quality photos for both selfies and standard shots.
• Figures in the patent illustrate various perspectives, highlighting the design's adaptability.
• Some portions of the illustrations are marked with broken lines, indicating non-claimed elements, suggesting that the primary focus is on the camera positioning system.
• With priority claims referencing earlier filings from May 2019, it is evident that Samsung has been developing this concept for several years.
• This design could potentially be integrated into a foldable or rollable display phone that the company may introduce in the future.