Microsoft’s latest patent application suggests that the company could be developing a technology for a foldable smartphone that will be quite different from its Surface Duo lineup. The company could try its hand at a ‘true foldable’ design where a single foldable panel is used instead of two separate displays connected by a hinge. The patent mentions a spine cover plate for the central hinge, which appears similar to Samsung’s flex hinge used in the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

The patent application was published at the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on February 29 and was titled “Foldable Computing Device Spine Cover Plate”. Although the publishing date is recent, the document shows that the application was filed on December 14, 2022. Since the patent is about the hinge mechanism, not much is detailed about other aspects of the possible foldable smartphone.

It details a spine cover plate that will be placed on a vertical hinge axis and will support the first and second display-supporting frames. Further, the patent mentions a “flexible display substrate”. These descriptions along with numerous figures showing a single foldable display hint that this design is likely for a foldable smartphone. The application also delves into how the hinge mechanism will work. It explained that the central plate will have movable hinges that attach to the frame. The hinges will also contain multiple springs in opposing directions which will both hold the display frames in position and allow for smooth opening and closing of the device.

While other aspects are not mentioned, it seems closer to the foldable smartphone from Samsung, Google, and OnePlus than its Surface Duo 2 that launched in 2022. This could mean that Microsoft might be planning to replace the Surface Duo form factor. This new patent application also corroborates a Windows Central report from last year, that mentioned that the tech giant had scrapped its plans to launch a Surface Duo 3.

Still, many questions remain about the potential foldable smartphone by Microsoft. It will be interesting to see whether it will have a secondary display on the front or will continue the book-style design and whether the wider form factor will be ditched for a leaner body. It should be noted that this is only a patent, and most times, they do not see a public launch.

Vivo Y19s was globally unveiled in October. However, at the time, the company did not reveal the pricing details of the handset. Now, Vivo has announced the price alongside the RAM and storage configurations of the smartphone. The phone has been listed on one of the brand’s regional websites. It features a 6.68-inch 90Hz HD+ LCD screen, a Unisoc T612 chipset, a 50-megapixel main camera, and a 5,500mAh battery with 15W wired charging support. Notably, an India launch of the budget handset has yet to be confirmed.

Vivo Y19s Price

Vivo Y19s price in Thailand starts at THB 3,999 (roughly Rs. 9,800) for the 4GB + 64GB option. Meanwhile, the 4GB + 128GB and the 6GB + 128GB variants are priced at THB 4,399 (roughly Rs. 10,800) and THB 4,999 (roughly Rs. 12,300), respectively. They are currently available for purchase in the country via the Vivo Thailand e-store.

The Vivo Y19s is offered in three colour options — Glacier Blue, Glossy Black, and Pearl Silver.

Vivo Y19s Features, Specifications

The Vivo Y19s comes with a 6.68-inch HD+ (720 x 1,608 pixels) LCD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and a 264ppi pixel density. It is backed by a 12nm octa-core Unisoc T612 SoC paired with up to 6GB of LPDDR4X RAM and up to 128GB of eMMC 5.1 onboard storage. The phone ships with Android 14-based Funtouch OS 14.

In the camera department, the Vivo Y19s gets a dual rear camera unit including a 50-megapixel primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and a 0.08-megapixel depth sensor with an f/3.0 aperture. The front camera carries a 5-megapixel sensor for selfies and video calls.

The Vivo Y19s houses a 5,500mAh battery with support for 15W wired charging. For security, it is equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. The phone has an IP64-rated build for dust and splash resistance alongside 5-star SGS drop resistance and MIL-STD 810H military-grade certifications. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, GPS and a USB Type-C port. The handset measures 165.75 x 76.10 x 8.10mm in size and weighs 198g.

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