LG isn’t widely known for its laptops, but a new and truly bizarre design patent shows that the company is considering a triple-screen design.
LG Electronics has been granted a patent for an unusual concept laptop with three displays. Margins on PCs have been declining steadily over the years, leading manufacturers to come up with new and innovative ideas. That includes various new form-factors, including 2-in-1s, detachables, ultrabooks, and more. However, LG’s new laptop would push the design envelope by introducing a whole new concept if it ever makes its way to the retail shelves.
LG is known for its ultra-lightweight ‘Gram’ notebooks, but the company also has a premium ‘UltraGear’ brand for gaming monitors and accessories. The company also recently debuted its first gaming laptop, called the UltraGear 17G90Q, which comes with Intel’s 11th-gen Core processors (Tiger lake-H) and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Max-Q graphics card. The device will first launch in the U.S. and South Korea in early 2022 before making its way to other regions around the world.
LG’s interesting new triple-screen laptop design was granted a patent earlier this month by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The sketches published with the patent document shows what seems to be a somewhat traditional-looking clam-shell laptop with a widescreen main display along with a couple of smaller, squarish display panels on the two sides of the keyboard. According to the document, the two displays would be multi-functional and could work as a numeric keypad, as well as a touch-pad to adjust the volume, screen brightness, etc.
Space For A Fourth Display?
While the triple-screen design itself is remarkable, another noteworthy design element in LG’s concept laptop is the vast empty space just above the keyboard. While it’s unclear what the company plans to do with that empty space, it could shoehorn a fourth display in that area, much like Asus’ Duo-branded dual-screen laptops. LG might also have other ideas for that space, so it will be interesting to see how this will work if the company ever decides to bring this device to the market.
LG is one of the relatively minor players in the pre-built PC market, but the company is clearly trying to change that in the coming years. The recent foray into the gaming laptop market was indication enough that the company is taking this business seriously, and now the new development suggests that there might be more news with regards to LG’s PC plans going forward. With the company already announcing plans to shutter its smartphone business globally, the impetus in the PC segment should ensure that the company will continue to offer mobility solutions to retail customers in the foreseeable future.
Source: WIPO
