Google Files Patent for Bendable ‘Z-Fold’ Display Technology

Google has filed for patent of Z-Fold display technology which is likely to be used by phone makers.

Google could license its patented technology to phone makers.

(Photo Courtesy: The Verge)

Google has recently filed a patent which suggests that the search-engine giant could be interested in a "Z-fold" display technology that could bend in two different places without breaking.

The patent does not mention the word "phone" even once, instead it refers to how the display could be used by "modern computing devices" which could refer to tablets or laptops, The Verge reported on Thursday.

The search engine giant's interest in foldable smartphones is being speculated to be more inclined towards the software aspect of their designs, because typically, Google does not produce displays or handsets on its own.

Hence it is also likely that Google licences the foldable screen out to a third-party rather than producing it by itself.

"Like Apple with its iPhones, Google reportedly outsources manufacturing of the Pixel 3 to Foxconn, and both HTC and LG shared manufacturing duties on the Pixel 2 phones," the report said.

This is how the Z-Fold screen folds.

Google added support for foldable displays into Android in November.

The company also worked closely with Samsung and Huawei to ensure that Android would work well on the first ever foldable smartphones. In most cases, patent filings are merely done to make sure that the competition doesn’t end up adopting it.

There’s no guarantee that Google will actually make use of this technology in the foreseeable future.