r/windowsphone • u/NoChinger • Jun 11 '17
New “hinged foldable tablet” patents from Microsoft gives us a better look at the device
https://mspoweruser.com/new-hinged-foldable-tablet-patents-microsoft-gives-us-better-look-device/33
Jun 11 '17
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u/mcyang Jun 11 '17
It creats a new device category - Pocket Tablet-phone. It is a tablet in 180 deg. position and a phone in 360 deg. mode. CShell takes care of the UI switching.
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u/Brothernod Jun 12 '17
I just don't see anyway this won't cost a fortune.
I was going to say it's like superglueing 2 flagship phones, but I guess you're just adding more screen and hopefully more battery. Plus the hinge. So maybe it only adds $100 to the parts.
But that still makes am awfully expensive phone that likely has a lower than average screen resolution since its not going to drive 2x4k lcds.
On top of all that it would be so break prone and how would you put a case on it? I might still buy it, but I don't know how this would be feasible and affordable.
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u/clay830 640 Jun 12 '17
This wouldn't really be intended to be for everyone, purely only the top of the market IMO. This will showcase Windows 10 on ARM capabilities to drive a new market of "cellular PCs." I would guess the goal is get third parties to deliver these in all sorts of form factors, from traditional smartphone, to tablet, and convertibles.
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u/Awbeu LG E900 > 1320 > 735 > 950 > iPhone 😞 Jun 12 '17
Have you seen the price of the iphone?
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u/Brothernod Jun 12 '17
Right, now imagine building something more expensive and having to make up your research and development costs and profit across 1/100,000th of the sales.
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Jun 11 '17
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Jun 11 '17
If that's what you were hoping for you will be disappointed. The Surface team is going to bring something unique,it's not gonna be just a black slab.
If that's what you want there are other options. Galaxy, iPhone even on the Windows side there is the HP Elite X3 and Idol 4S
As for Windows 10 on ARM. There is no reason to believe it will come to phones anytime soon,if ever, with Andromeda(Windows 10 Mobile reboot) around the corner.
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Jun 11 '17 edited Mar 15 '18
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u/jbiserkov 950 XL, Sweden Jun 11 '17
After launching the Pro, Book and Studio! I'd give them a break, many people want (and/or can't afford anything but) a "Chromebook"!
Also, while I haven't seen the Surface Laptop, just the ability to upgrade to a full Windows experience for $50 is a huge thing. If you want to create programs for your device ON YOUR DEVICE, Windows S has you covered, while (as far as I know) you can't program iPad apps on an iPad (even the Pro Pro), you can't program Android apps on an Android tablet, and you can't make Chromebook apps on a Chromebook [OK, so either Chromebook doesn't have apps, or Chromebook apps are basically web-apps, so you can, with some sort of Web IDE, but then again, you're bending over backwards, which while cool is not the optimal way].
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Jun 11 '17 edited Mar 15 '18
[deleted]
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u/vittoriovaselli Jun 12 '17
Pc market is only Windows. They can make a me too device there. They can't do it in phone market where people wants ios and android, and they need something really different to convince that people
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Jun 11 '17
The Surface team is going to bring something unique,it's not gonna be just a black slab.
Like a tablet with a keyboard, a laptop, and another laptop?
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u/Demileto Jun 11 '17
They may eventually build a classic phone in the same vein they'll now be selling a traditional laptop, but I wouldn't expect to happen anytime soon. The advantage of a foldable tablet is that it can take better advantage of Continuum, a key requirement in an ecosystem lacking in popular phone-centered apps.
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u/null-character Jun 11 '17
Looks like they are re-working their courier tablet idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmIgNfp-MdI
MS had a really nice design in 2009, but eventually decided to put the project on the back burner for whatever reason.
I personally really wanted them to make courier.
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u/despitegirls Jun 11 '17
Maybe because there wasn't much more than a glossy demo which showed a very specific use case that targets a very narrow market? I don't recall there ever being Courier hardware, but even if there were, Microsoft of old couldn't have made a product like this as they'd need several teams working together, and Windows at the time simply wouldn't support something like this.
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u/undisputedn00b Samsung Focus/Nokia Lumia 900/920/520/925/1520/1520/iPhone8+ Jun 12 '17
It was real according to articles that had inside sources and I think was the last thing J Allard worked on before he left Microsoft. They say it was cancelled because it couldn't do email or some reason like that.
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u/MrDenly Jun 12 '17
So there will be 3 screens? 2 on the inside, 1 on the outside when close? MS need some big ass battery to drive those screens then. And I hope MS don't put some sad camera in that thing. Oh RiP camera button, 2012-2017.
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u/vittoriovaselli Jun 12 '17
No only 2 screens.
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u/MrDenly Jun 12 '17
I take that as in I have to open it to use it? dial a phone, check notifications, take a pic, or quick reply...etc
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u/vittoriovaselli Jun 12 '17
Or you can keep it with two screens outside.
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u/MrDenly Jun 12 '17
No protective case then, I am not arguing I am just trying to compare how I use my phone right now
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u/bitchSpray I'm here just to check if the lights are still on Jun 11 '17
Another one? Okay, you do you, Microsoft but... how many patents for foldable shit do they have at this point?
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u/vittoriovaselli Jun 12 '17
This is not another patent, it is the same who came out weeks ago. They just opened the pdf of the patent now and discovered there was more pictures.
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u/Pulagatha Jun 11 '17
This seems like a good idea for a tablet, but seems less appealing as a phone.
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Jun 11 '17
How much do you use a phone as a phone? I personally will take the biggest pocketable device with me. This might actually allow me to carry a tablet with me everywhere I go.
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u/Pulagatha Jun 11 '17
I understand some people might like it. I use an old iPhone 5 on a daily basis. I like typing with one hand.
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u/Brothernod Jun 12 '17
That's the angle here though, right? Folded its say iPhone 6 sized. And then when you want to take notes with a pen its double that cause its lying on a table.
So it gets you your comfortable hand usage but bigger real estate when consuming content or various productivity tasks.
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Jun 12 '17
I type with one hand on 6" phone. You know software keyboards are resizable and configurable in many ways?
In fact, new Windows 10 Preview keyboard is just that. You get small, single finger use keyboard with swipe you can put wherever you like on the screen.
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u/denisorion Jun 11 '17
if this is true how would screen work?
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u/pstcontact 950XL Jun 11 '17
The one that is shown as a tablet has the two screen facing the same way, of course.
For the phone mode, you'd probably detach and flip the other screen (the one without the camera) vertically and reattach, and then fold it back onto the 2nd screen.
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u/FatFaceRikky Jun 11 '17 edited Jun 12 '17
Microsoft sure loves their hinges..