Nokia dreams up four-way folding Communicator

Not that Nokia's current Communicator is in need of a major refacing or anything, but we're always up for some innovation. A recent patent application from the outfit showcases a completely bizarre four-way folding Communicator, chock full of hinges, keys and pixels. In fact, the verbiage spells out a future device consisting of "at least four device parts," leaving open the option for a handset that miraculously unfolds to completely envelope you in a glass case of emotion. Hit the read link for the full dream spilled out in entirely too much detail.

[Via Cellpassion]

[James @ Dec 26th 2008 5:41PM]

First wahoo

[KezMondo @ Dec 27th 2008 7:27AM]

Get out.

[KAIKAI @ Dec 26th 2008 5:43PM]

nice hinges ???? :P

[Fernando @ Dec 26th 2008 5:46PM]

holy what

[bokeen @ Dec 26th 2008 5:46PM]

I can't envision this thing being the least bit useful. Would the device need to be placed on a surface for typing, or would it fit in your hands? And why sacrifice the convenience of being able to quickly flip open a clamshell?

I realize that this is just a patent application and the design could change drastically, but I think Nokia is headed down the wrong path with this one.

[tom @ Dec 26th 2008 9:53PM]

I think Nokia is trying to design a phone that will transform into a robot (like the ones you see in Transformer the movie)

[eggothewaffle @ Dec 26th 2008 5:47PM]

♫♫ I've got a four-way folding Communicator where my heart used to be ♫♫

[Saad Rabia @ Dec 26th 2008 5:49PM]

Nokia: Connecting What?

[Kris120890 @ Dec 26th 2008 5:49PM]

I'll just take the 5800 or the n97 thanks. Do you really need hinges? I've some devices that fold in similar ways without hinges.(5800 comes out in February on vodafone in the UK in case anyone is wandering)

[superhobo @ Dec 27th 2008 7:11AM]

I'm wandering in the streets of London...looking for an N97

[Marcus @ Dec 26th 2008 5:51PM]

Wait, what!?

[Levi @ Dec 26th 2008 5:52PM]

I'm all about more screen real estate except.. No, no I'm not. This is atrocious.

[sim @ Dec 26th 2008 5:54PM]

The drawings are actually showing a single folding screen. the line drawing shows that the hinges are behind the screen by dotting the lines that represent the hinges. Flexible screens will be awesome.

[gonintendo @ Dec 26th 2008 5:55PM]

Is that a helmet?

[burntcustard @ Dec 26th 2008 6:13PM]

No.

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 26th 2008 7:07PM]

Might be, I'm not sure.

[Alex @ Dec 26th 2008 8:36PM]

Nice choice of icon. Catcher and Prostitute for life.

[schtum @ Dec 26th 2008 5:56PM]

I played with a prototype of this thing at a grade school playground. It tells you the future. Pretty sweet.

[Lowest Ranked @ Dec 26th 2008 7:52PM]

The paper version doesn't require hinges, however.

[HyperHacker @ Dec 27th 2008 6:23AM]

And it has amazing battery life, and highly flexible screens. Unfortunately they have an abysmal refresh rate and colour depth, and the GUI is just hideous; it looks like it was drawn by a kid.

[Obi-Habby @ Dec 26th 2008 5:57PM]

Ron Burgandy: I'm trapped in a glass case of emotion!

[Freakin Ijit @ Dec 26th 2008 5:57PM]

Lotta screen real estate on that baby.

Doom, anyone?

[Freakin Ijit @ Dec 26th 2008 6:00PM]

Don't try typing 'Y'.

[Al @ Dec 26th 2008 7:21PM]

Y

[HyperHacker @ Dec 27th 2008 6:24AM]

Y not?

[Freakin Ijit @ Dec 27th 2008 9:21AM]

Well..perhaps I should have posted "Try to type 'Y'...".

http://images.quickblogcast.com/87633-76573/nok_compatent.jpg

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 27th 2008 2:56PM]

Oh m god, that is a fantasticall idoiotic oversight and who do ou think the are tring to sell that to without that all important button???

Wh have the done that?

[BradS @ Dec 30th 2008 10:33AM]

Maybe the product will be named the "Qwertz"

[Valicore @ Dec 26th 2008 6:04PM]

Nokia is always thinking! Now I get to do Finnish Origami before I can actually use this... thing?

[Rainier @ Dec 26th 2008 6:05PM]

Sure officer, let me pull out my driver's license out of my wallet here and...oh shoot, that's not my wallet...hang on hang on. No wait, now why is my wallet ringing?

[War Ensemble @ Dec 26th 2008 6:16PM]

Cool, so it's like a mini-Transformer in your pocket.

[BradS @ Dec 30th 2008 10:34AM]

Or are you just happy to see me?

[Yoshi @ Dec 26th 2008 6:17PM]

Looks somewhat fancy, for the sake of fanciness. Though, if this is the design
to accommodate more circuit, it will become useless pretty soon, as the integration
of the chips progress and the whole unit shrinks.
I've seen many of this kind of design.

[landincoldfire @ Dec 26th 2008 6:20PM]

WTF?

Aren't phones complicated enough, like now I am going to need lessons on how to unfold it.

So, will it look like a paper football?

[prestor john @ Dec 26th 2008 6:31PM]

MS Origami lives?

[gentux @ Dec 26th 2008 6:31PM]

Hmm one day we'll unfold our phones just as homer in the simpsons movie when he wanted to show alaska on a poster he had in his purse.

[Noah @ Dec 26th 2008 6:35PM]

No, its the new Nintendo QS. And there is no way that this will not win.

[Da Ereeser @ Dec 28th 2008 3:45PM]

No, I think this is what they are trying to do.

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/2007/04/12/samsungs-mobile-wimax-mits-devices-go-live-in-s-korea/

[Baby-G @ Dec 26th 2008 6:46PM]

NNNOOOO!!!!! this is the first phase of the rolling droids on star wars!!!!! If you patent this that means that Nokia will be the manufacture.

[aaron @ Dec 26th 2008 6:46PM]

N96's... ROLL OUT!


-Optimus "N810" Prime

[rento @ Dec 26th 2008 6:52PM]

It reminds me of how a take away pizza is folded in Naples. yummmm!

[Mobius_1 @ Dec 26th 2008 7:13PM]

I hope the actual device, if they do attempt to make one, looks better and more polished than this.

[loocas @ Dec 26th 2008 7:22PM]

Since when "doors" are called "communication device"?

[Thats What He Said @ Dec 26th 2008 8:11PM]

when people stopped using the word "are"

[Tejas Padekar @ Dec 26th 2008 8:51PM]

Actually. ever since they started misplacing the word "are".

[loocas @ Dec 26th 2008 9:43PM]

Hmm, interesting, however, what's wrong with the use of the word "are" here?

[CleverEndeavor @ Dec 26th 2008 7:54PM]

wouldn't that design be inconvenient?

[Wolfticket @ Dec 26th 2008 7:55PM]

Looks like a novel futuristic origami-ish laptop that actually fits ergonomically on your lap.
Assuming the bottom two panels are a split qwerty keyboard and the top two are a seamless split screen.
And the hinges give it a nice (albeit, slightly out of place) steampunk aesthetic.

[Thats What He Said @ Dec 26th 2008 8:10PM]

couldnt they just make this like a game board?








they fold without hinges....

[Diego @ Dec 26th 2008 8:28PM]

Looks horrible IMO.