Earlier this month, an International Samsung patent application was published in Europe regarding a completely new take on a future smartwatch that comprises a flexible / bendable display that could wraparound a user’s wrist allowing them  to view the time and messages when the watch is in various positions as you’ll see in the patent figures in this report. The display could be  configured by the user to divide the display as they see fit.

Samsung’s patent covers a next-gen complentely reinvented smartwatch that includes a flexible display disposed in the housing, a strap connected to the housing and configured to mount the electronic device on a user's wrist, a first sensor configured to detect or identify rotation of the electronic device when the electronic device rotates based on rotation of the user's wrist, a second sensor configured to detect or identify movement of the electronic device when the electronic device moves based on movement of an arm of the user, a processor, and a memory storing instructions.

The instructions may be configured to cause the electronic device to obtain a sensing value using the first sensor or the second sensor when the electronic device is mounted on the user's wrist by the strap. The instructions may be configured to cause the electronic device to identify an event requesting display of a screen on the display when executed by the processor.

According to one embodiment, the display (220) (e.g., a bendable display or a flexible display) may be disposed in the housing (230). The display (220) may form a flat plane in an unfolded state of the electronic device (200) as in FIG. 2, or may be bent in a fastened state of the electronic device (200) as in FIG. 3, or in a worn state of the electronic device (200) as in FIG. 4. According to one embodiment, the display (220) may include a plurality of regions (e.g., 221, 222, 223).

The division and shape of the plurality of areas (e.g., 221, 222, 223) of the display (220) of FIG. 2 are merely exemplary, and there is no limitation on the method of division of the plurality of areas (e.g., 221, 222, 223) and the shape of the plurality of areas (e.g., 221, 222, 223). FIG. 4 is a drawing of a worn state of an electronic device according to one embodiment.

FIG. 10 illustrates an embodiment in which a user (400) looks at a second area (222) of a display (220) of an electronic device (200) without turning the wrist (e.g., while walking or running) while wearing the electronic device (200). At this time, the gaze direction (1040) of the user (400) may be directed toward the second area (222) of the display (220) (e.g., the screen (1020) of the second area (222)).

Referring to FIG. 11, according to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) (e.g., the processor (120)) may display a screen (1121) in a second direction (592) in a second area (222) of the display (220), as in (a) of FIG. 11, or may display a screen (1122) in a first direction (591) in a second area (222) of the display (220), as in (b) of FIG. 11. An embodiment of displaying a screen in the second area (222) in the second direction (592) can be described with reference to FIG. 12. An embodiment of displaying a screen in the first direction (591) in the second area (222) can be described with reference to FIG. 13.

Referring to FIG. 16, according to one embodiment, the electronic device (200) (e.g., the processor (120)) may display a screen of a specified application (e.g., a screen including information related to the privacy of the user (400)) on the third area (223) of the display (220). For example, the electronic device (200) may display a screen of an application including a message, SNS, personal conversation content (1631), or sender or receiver information of a phone call (1632) on the third area (223) of the display (220). The screen displayed on the third area (223) of the display (220) is not limited to a screen including information related to the privacy of the user (400).

Patently Apple covered a similar concept in an Apple patent back in February 2013 with one of the patent figures presented below. The original patent filing was in 2011. That’s only 14 years ahead of Samsung. Though Samsung Display will actually be the company to actually deliver such a display.