ZTE patent shows clamshell foldable phone that doesn’t quite fold in half

2019 is actually the year of the foldable phone, like Huawei, Samsung, and others bring the product class to market. It looks like ZTE could be considering a rather dissimilar take on the foldable phone though.

A patent filed by the World Intellectual Property workplace, and spotted by Let’s Go Digital, shows a ZTE foldable phone with a clamshell design. This isn’t a flush fold although, as part of the lower half of the screen still peeks out.

This design could let ZTE display notifications, the time/date, and other information without the requirement to fully open the phone. This wouldn’t be a game-changing modernization, but it could mean that your phone isn’t completely useless when folded up. Essentially, you’re looking at what could be a take on the always-on display.

A foldable phone patent by ZTE brought to life by Let's Go Digital.

The design doesn’t appear to have a front-facing camera, while the main cameras are on the rear of the base. This system makes us wonder how you’ll take selfies with a device like this. Hopefully, ZTE has a solution in mind if this moves beyond the patent stage and becomes a genuine product.

It’s not the first time we’ve heard about an unconventional clamshell form factor for foldable though, as Korean outlets reported on similar designs for Samsung’s foldable phones a previous year. We’ve previously animated these designs, showing devices that still leave a portion of the screen showing after folding. But Samsung’s purported designs leave a bigger area of the screen exposed, potentially opening the door for more complex tasks.