HP patent shows laptop with foldable screen for better portability

The foldable screen segment seems to be on the cusp of taking new steps forward. Recent reports suggest that major companies are developing products with unexplored form factors. Now, a new patent describes a design for an HP laptop with a foldable screen, but very different from what has been seen so far.

Foldable screen technology has been on the consumer market for several years now. Major brands have used it mainly for mobile devices, such as the Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold series. After multiple generations and improvements, the industry may be ready to explore more ambitious products. According to leaks, Apple is working on a foldable Mac, although it may not be coming soon. HP could be going in the same direction.

HP’s patented foldable laptop screen design folds inward from the sides

HP filed a patent with the USPTO that details the design of a foldable screen for laptops. The product goes far beyond simply folding the screen in half to hide a keyboard. HP envisioned a laptop with a flexible display that allows both the left and right sides to be folded inward.

A section of the patent description says that “flexible flat panel display technology, through the development of rollable displays, has allowed for the development of a lighter, thinner product that is easier to carry and store.” Basically, this form factor would make it easier to carry your laptop with you everywhere. When folded, the device does not leave any section of the screen available for use. So, it is a design purely for portability.

HP filed the patent in April 2021, but it was only published this November (via MSPoweruser). It’s possible they have more advanced designs we don’t know about. The company already had a commercial laptop with a foldable screen: the HP Spectre Foldable. However, the device was not as well received as expected, so HP discontinued it.

The HP Specter Foldable relied on flexible displays to accommodate different form factors. This suggests that HP has indeed been experimenting more with the technology in recent years. That said, the device’s commercial failure may have changed their minds, although there is nothing confirmed about it.