According to Tom’s Guide, Samsung have filed a patent in the US that suggests they’re one step closer to nailing holographic projection technology in their phones.
They’ve filed a patent for a “hologram reproducing apparatus” that can “emit a write beam corresponding to the hologram pattern.” The new technology apparently eliminates “the limited viewing angle and low resolution of current holographic technologies”.
In case you don’t speak tech geek, it would basically enable phones to project 3D holograms, just like in Star Wars.
The news comes two months after the release of the RED Hydrogen One, a phone which billed itself as the “world’s first holographic 4-view media machine”. It was pretty much universally panned, with The Verge describing its holographic display as “a novelty”.
Many experts don’t see this going anywhere – plenty of patents are filed that never reach the development stage – but Samsung has been flirting with hologram technology for a while, with previous patents for phones mentioning hologram capabilities.
Thanks to German site Let’s Go Digital, we even have this diagram that was included in the patent application:
If it does happen, it won’t be for a while, so don’t start saving up for a new holographic smartphone just yet. You should start practicing your Princess Leia-inspired messages to friends, though, just in case.