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Sony Ericsson files "flipper phone" patent

Just when we were ready to give the award to Samsung for the most complicated phone form factor, Sony Ericsson outdoes their Korean counterparts in a just-revealed 2004 patent application aptly titled "Flipper Phone Configuration." The concept appears to accomplish essentially the same function as a swiveling clamshell but with additional drama surrounding the conversion between modes, using a pivot point halfway up the sides of the display to allow 180-degree rotation. At least Samsung is trying to bring some additional functionality to the table with their "sliding clamshell" patent; where's the innovation here, fellas?

[Via textually.org]