This is the Canceled Foldable Smartphone

A newly filed patent has given us our first look at the design of a canceled folding phone.

What You Need to Know

A new patent has revealed the design of a canceled next foldable phone. The device would have featured a folding screen, external cover display, and magnetic accessories. Codenamed Neon, this device was scrapped in spring 2023 after the company cut back on experimental form factors.

Back in January 2023, it was reported that the company had scrapped plans to ship a dual-screen phone and had instead pivoted to a more traditional foldable phone design with an internal folding display and external cover screen. The device would have featured a 180-degree hinge, triple camera array on the back, and a taller aspect ratio.

The device was codenamed Neon but was unfortunately scrapped once the company cut back on experimental form factors in spring 2023. It's unlikely we'll ever see Neon ship now, but thanks to a newly discovered patent, we can finally show you what the device would have looked like.

The back of Neon with a magnetic kickstand accessory attached. (Image credit: ppubs.uspto.gov)

Sources say the device detailed in this patent is exactly what the next folding phone would have looked like. We can see the back of the device featured a triple camera array positioned similarly to the iPhone's camera module. These lenses were placed to the left of a camera bump area that spanned the very top portion of the back of the phone.

The cover screen and inside foldable screen were edge-to-edge and featured in-display camera sensors for selfies and video calls. At the time, sources said the device would feature magnetic accessories that would attach to the back of the phone, and this patent details that exact aspect of the design.

Specifically, the patent outlines a kickstand accessory that would magnetically attach to the phone in different orientations depending on if you had the phone open or closed. It's a cool idea, and very similar to the Magsafe ecosystem that Apple has developed on the iPhone.

The magnetic kickstand could attach in different ways. (Image credit: ppubs.uspto.gov)

Sources also tell us the device would have featured a power button that could pop open the phone without having to pry the two halves apart with your fingers. This is a concept that was first heard about when a similar device was in development, and it would have been awesome to see it finally ship.

AndroGuider Team

Articles written by the AndroGuider team. We try to make them thorough and informational while being easy to read.