Opening and closing laptops is a classic… Form factor changes

Input 2021.02.21 06:00

An ordinary laptop that opens and closes is now a classic In the non-face-to-face era, various demands such as online games and education, telecommuting, and graphic work are created, and notebook manufacturers are busy to meet multiple demands in one product. As part of that, we are trying to innovate a form factor that can be used in various forms (form factor, meaning the size or arrangement of the product appearance).

It is introducing a variety of products, from a two-in-one model that can be used as a tablet to a model that adds a screen pad, another display between the display and the keyboard.

Samsung Electronics released the Galaxy Book Flex 2 in December 2020. The smart S Pen is provided so that you can perform delicate tasks such as notes and drawings on the display. This product is a 2-in-1 notebook that can rotate the display 360 degrees. The weight of the Galaxy Book Flex 2 equipped with the NVIDIA external graphics MX450 is 1.57kg.

The Galaxy Book Flex 2 5G model is the first Samsung Note PC to support 5G mobile communication in a two-in-one form factor. A 13 megapixel camera was mounted on the top of the product to meet the demand for video conferencing, online classes, and one-person broadcast. The Galaxy Book Flex 2 5G weighs 1.26kg.

Asus’ latest Zenbook Duo UX482 model is equipped with’Screen Pad Plus’, another display between the display and the keyboard.

Consumers who used existing dual monitors complained of the inconvenience that two monitors occupy most of the space on the desk. The Zenbook Duo UX482 takes advantage of dual monitors while using minimal space.

Not only the top display, but also the screen pad plus a touch screen. You can perform delicate tasks using a stylus pen. ScreenPad Plus can adjust the angle up to 7 degrees, and brightness and screen layout can be adjusted through settings. The weight of the Zenbook Duo UX482 is 1.6kg.

In August 2020, Lenovo introduced the world’s first foldable notebook, the ThinkPad X1 Fold. The company said it had developed the product over five years to apply the foldable form factor. The ThinkPad X1 Fold with an OLED screen weighs only 999g.

Lenovo is reportedly under consideration to launch this product in Korea.

Starting with Lenovo, the possibility of the foldable era opening on PCs has increased. According to foreign media and industry on the 19th, Samsung Electronics registered a foldable display design patent (D910, 620) with the US Patent Office (USPTO) on the 16th (local time). This patent, filed in May 2020, is believed to be a display for tablet PCs.

Samsung Electronics also registered a patent for a tablet PC that can use the lower display as a keyboard in April 2018, so it is estimated that it is spurring the development of a foldable PC.

Samsung Electronics said, “We will try to popularize foldable products” at the earnings announcement conference call held on January 28th.

Reporter Kim Dong-jin [email protected]

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