samsung Samsung granted design patent for a "phone" with a 21:9 aspect ratio screen

[tarekma7]

The USPTO recently granted Samsung a patent for the design of a device that looks quite unusual. The patent filing describes the device as being a “mobile phone”, and yet this looks more like an elongated tablet. Or is it a smartphone with a weird aspect ratio?

We took the new design and combined it with an image that has an aspect ratio of 21:9. As we suspected, the image matched the screen area perfectly. We first tried a 16:9 image, but we knew that it would not match. So it looks like this is indeed the design of a phone sporting a 21:9 aspect ratio display.

The 21:9 aspect ratio is usually used on (some) widescreen TVs. Is it any good on a modern smartphone? We can’t really tell for now. But you can take a look at Samsung’s new design in the gallery below and let us know what you think.

As always, patenting a design doesn’t necessarily mean that the respective design will see the light of day as a real device. In this case, Samsung probably just wants to make sure that if it ever launches such a phone / tablet with a 21:9 display it will be able to legally protect its design.

Update: LG launched a feature phone with a 21:9 screen way back in 2009 - the LG BL40 New Chocolate.

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Edited March 13, 2014 by evan12