Based on a patent filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization (via LetsGo Digital), it would appear that Samsung is thinking about making a radical change to the design of its smartphones. The patent, filed late last year and published last week, is titled ‘Electronic device with full display,’ and Sammy wasn’t kidding. The illustrations from the patents and the renders created by LetsGo Digital show the handset’s screen curved not only on the sides but also on the top and bottom. This takes the curved screen in use on the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ to another level. Also of note is the more rounded form factor of the phone illustrated in the patent.

According to the patent, phone manufacturers are limited by optical sensors and home keys when reducing the size of the bezel on a handset. The technology in the patent helps to solve that issue while the curved screen helps to improve the grip on the phone. To get the bezel-less look, the patent envisions the phone coming with an in-display fingerprint scanner; that isn’t anything special these days. After all, the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ both feature an ultrasonic in-display fingerprint reader. And the front-facing sensors and cameras will be found embedded in the screen.

Recently Oppo and Xiaomi both demonstrated under-display cameras, so the technology to do this is already here. And that means that the Samsung Galaxy S11, which we would expect to be unveiled next February, could have this new look. Also, you might note that the illustrations include a vertically mounted rear camera module. This is interesting because the latest Galaxy Note 10 renders show a change from the horizontally placed housing on the Galaxy Note 9 to the vertically positioned rear cameras for the upcoming model. The renders place the cameras near the left upper edge of the rear panel.

Samsung’s first curved edge screen was found on 2015’s Galaxy S6 edge and Galaxy S6 edge+ But the dual curves were used to disseminate information rather than offer an enhanced cinematic experience. In other words, the experience using the phone is nothing like the one users would have with the device envisioned in the patent. Phone manufacturers are pulling out the stops seeking ways to offer screens that allow as close to an edge-to-edge display as possible. The Oppo Reno has its ‘shark fin’ that pops out with the selfie camera and the OnePlus 7 Pro uses a popup selfie snapper.

A new render that we showed you this morning for the Galaxy Note 10 shows that Samsung is indeed moving in a direction toward the use of a four-way curved display like the one mentioned in the patent. The Galaxy Note 10 render shows an Infinity-O display (meaning that it includes a punch-hole for the selfie camera) with extremely thin side bezels and small top and bottom bezels. It doesn’t take much imagination to see this design morphing into the design indicated by the patent.