A rollable Samsung Galaxy Watch? New patent suggests it's possible

A rollable Samsung Milky way Sentinel? New patent suggests it'southward possible

(Image credit: Hereafter)

Samsung already produces some of the best foldable phones. So why not take its screen-bending powers to smartwatches, with a rollable display coming to some hereafter Galaxy Watch 4 successor?

That seems to be a distinct possibility for Samsung thanks to a patent filed back in June that only came to lite this week. The patent, filed with the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO), describes a two-part Galaxy Watch display that users will be able to pull out, creating more screen space. The patent was spotted past Dutch blog LetsGoDigital.

There'southward no indication that any such device is office of Samsung's smartphone plans. Patents just reflect companies safeguarding designs and technologies, not a roadmap for time to come product evolution. In other words, Samsung may be tinkering with a rollable smartwatch brandish, but that's no guarantee information technology ever sees the low-cal of day.

Samsung Galaxy Watch with rollable display patent — (Image credit: Let'sGoDigital)

That said, we're intrigued by the display described in the patent application. According to LetsGoDigital, the brandish is fabricated up of two separate parts that y'all tin can pull apart when you lot demand more screen infinite, adjusting the size with the watch's digital crown. The Galaxy Watch would aggrandize from the centre; when fully extended, you'd be looking at a twoscore% larger screen.

While smartwatches tin can be helpful for at-a-glance info, their small displays can make information technology difficult to wait at more detailed data and big passages of block text. Presumably, expanding that space with a rollable brandish would requite you a larger viewing area.

At that place could be other reasons to add together an expandable display to smartwatches, though. LetsGoDigital describes a split up-screen event where different parts of the screen could serve different functions — controls on the smaller office of the brandish, for example, to operate an app on the larger portion.

In addition, the middle of the rollable display would house a camera capable of shooting photos and recording video. The camera would be in the lookout man's middle frame, and yous'd slide open the display to actuate it.

Samsung's made in-roads in the smartwatch earth with the Milky way Sentinel 4, currently 1 of the best smartwatches for Android. Samsung worked with Google to develop a version of WearOS that can run on the watch while maintaining elements of Samsung'due south ain Tizen software. The Galaxy Watch 4 has also proven to offer its share of valuable features, making it a worthwhile alternative to the Apple Lookout man.

Every bit noted, it's unclear only how serious Samsung is about rollable displays for its smartwatch. But such a feature would certainly help Samsung stand out even more among wearables makers.

Philip Michaels is a senior editor at Tom's Guide. He has strong opinions about Apple, the Oakland Athletics and former movies. Follow him at @PhilipMichaels.