American tech stalwart IBM has been awarded a patented for a smartwatch. They have entered this space taking on Apple and Samsung with an unfolding display that allows the device to transform into a smartphone and a tablet. The patent was originally filed back in 2016 and the wearable device features a total of eight unfolding displays, each one measuring 2 x 3 inches. This gives you a 48 Sq Inch display with all the panels folded out.
In the standard configuration the smartwatch uses only one of these displays while the rest are stored in a small compartment inside the device. if the user wants a larger screen size they can slide parts out of the housing to give an extra wide display.
IBM originally filed the patent back in 2016 under the name ‘variable display size for an electronic display device’. the patent has since been approved on 11 june 2019 and published in the USPTO (united states patent and trademark office) database.
With all 8 display panels extended and used for display, the phone switches to tablet mode, requiring operation with two hands. the display seams appear as minimal, so that the content can be displayed continuously.