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Samsung's new Galaxy phone patent is a bezel-less, notch-free vision of the future

No notch, no bezels, no worries.

Claire Reilly Former Principal Video Producer
Claire Reilly was a video host, journalist and producer covering all things space, futurism, science and culture. Whether she's covering breaking news, explaining complex science topics or exploring the weirder sides of tech culture, Claire gets to the heart of why technology matters to everyone. She's been a regular commentator on broadcast news, and in her spare time, she's a cabaret enthusiast, Simpsons aficionado and closet country music lover. She originally hails from Sydney but now calls San Francisco home.
Expertise Space, Futurism, Science and Sci-Tech, Robotics, Tech Culture Credentials
  • Webby Award Winner (Best Video Host, 2021), Webby Nominee (Podcasts, 2021), Gold Telly (Documentary Series, 2021), Silver Telly (Video Writing, 2021), W3 Award (Best Host, 2020), Australian IT Journalism Awards (Best Journalist, Best News Journalist 2017)
Claire Reilly
2 min read
samsung-galaxy-patent

Samsung has patented a phone concept design that does away with bezels and has no notch in sight. 

Samsung

Is your next phone just going to be one giant screen?

It will be if Samsung has its way.

The latest concept design to make its way out of Samsung shows the company is working on a button-free, bezel-free, headphone jack-free phone that is all screen, all the time. And if you think that means a notch at the top, it's done away with that too.

The company filed a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office this week showing a new Galaxy concept design that does away with bezels on the bottom and sides of the phone, and slims the top bezel down to wafer thin, notch-free bar.

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The Note 9 is rumoured to have a fingerprint scanner under the screen, as imagined here by Concept Creator

Concept Creator

First picked up by Dutch mobile news site MobielKopen, the patent is reminiscent of Samsung's Note design, showing a screen that follows the curved edges of the phone, similar to the Note 8 design that creates that glossy infinity-pool edge on the sides. But with the Note 9 expected to launch in August, this might not quite be the vision of the future we get this year.

But if the patent is any indication, Samsung is paring back its physical hardware in favour of hidden features and wireless connectivity. 

In a design point that is sure to get Note fans on board (especially those who were disappointed that the fingerprint sensor didn't move under the screen in the Note 8) there's no clear fingerprint sensor on the rear of the phone. The bad news for wired headphone lovers? The designs also point to a lack of headphone jack on the bottom of the device.

If you're keen to see what you can expect from the next Samsung Galaxy phone we know is coming, check our full wrap-up of everything we know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 9. And be sure to compare that info with what we know about the next iPhone so far. 

Samsung has been contacted for comment.

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