Sony Ericsson plan to move away from the standard “candybar” format for their latest camera phone and could adopt a design along the lines of Nokia’s N93 model, according to an insider.
A patent filing from 2003 shows a device strikingly similar to the N93 (pictured below) with claims that it will have a multi directional hinge allowing the phone to be used in a variety of configurations.
The patent was filed before Nokia developed the N93 so it is surprising that there has not been any legal action (as far as we are aware).
A source at Sony Ericsson would not confirm whether the twist design mentioned in the patent would be used on a phone in the near future.
From the abstract:
An ergonomic clamshell housing for a mobile device with a camera comprises a housing with a hinge mechanism that pivotally connects a display section to a camera section. The hinge mechanism allows the display and camera sections to rotate relative to each other between at least a first folded position and a second folded position. When in the first folded position, the display and camera sections are folded in a side-by-side relation such that the display and camera lens face each other. When in the second folded position, the display and camera sections are folded in a side-by-side relation such that the display and camera lens face away from each other.
