In 2023, Motorola showed off its rolling concept device, and over the past few months we’ve seen more development in this area as bigger manufacturers get involved. A new patent from Motorola details the company’s rotating Rizr concept. The Lenovo-owned brand seems to be planning to include multiple fingerprint sensors on the entire display of the foldable smartphone. This will allow users to unlock the device by touching any part of the screen.

A full-screen fingerprint unlocking phone could be in the works

Motorola has filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a phone with a rotating display and full-screen fingerprint recognition. The patent, titled “Fingerprint Sequential On-Display (FOD) Control on a Movable Device with Multiple Focus Sensors,” shows a device that resembles the design of Motorola’s Rizr mobile smartphone. The US patent, published on November 5, is listed under patent number “12135587B1”.

Motorola’s design integrates multiple fingerprint sensors across the entire display. This will allow you to unlock the device from any part of the screen. Currently, fingerprint sensors are limited to certain areas of the smartphone. According to the diagrams included in the document, the finger region is available at least in both the fully retracted position and the fully extended position. “When retracted, both fingerprint scanners align in the FOD area for use looking at the front or back of the flexible display. When extended, the front-facing fingerprint scanner aligns with the second FOD area when viewing the flexible display.”

Motorola roll device
Photo: USPTO

Motorola showed off its Rizr folded concept at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023. It has a 5-inch display that can be expanded to 6.5 inches with the push of a button. The part of the display that isn’t in use when folded up wraps around the bottom and slides up onto the back.

In addition to Motorola, brands such as Vivo, Transsion Holdings, TCL and Samsung are working on mobile phones.