Samsung’s next smartphone may be able to bend like a flip phone

South Korean companies like LG and Samsung still produce a few flip phones, mostly for older people or unique markets like Japan, but Samsung might actually be bringing something new to the table with its next flip phone. According to a recent patent, the company is working on an ultra-flexible smartphone that will be able to function just like a flip phone.

Flip phones used to rule the world. Just ask Motorola: Its clamshell phone, the Razr, was one of the most popular phones of the last decade, selling more than 130 million units during its four-year run. Samsung might end up capitalizing on that nostalgia. Though its mobile business is struggling at the moment, the company said it plans to release its first smartphone with a super flexible display this year. Based on this patent, which was filed last April but published by the US Patent and Trademark Office earlier this month, it’s possible Samsung plans to release a smart flip phone. As you can see in the images from this patent, Samsung is experimenting with a super flexible phone that looks straight and sturdy at first, but can be bent inward like a typical clamshell phone, and also bent outward quite a bit.