If cell phone maker Vivo has anything to do with it, the future of foldable phones may be wrap-around displays.

A patent discovered by LetsGoDigital suggests that the Chinese tech company may add a foldable phone to its lineup in the near future. But it is different from any device we have seen so far. [Most foldable phones have a fairly utilitarian clamshell design. Samsung's Galaxy Fold 2 is a good example. And the rumored Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 could also offer an evolution of this design.

However, Vivo's patent takes a different approach to the foldable, with a phone that has a screen that rolls back into the device itself.

Almost like folding a piece of paper, the bottom third of the screen is collapsible and retracts into the back of the phone. The screen can be extended to its full length when in use. Alternatively, the folded portion of the screen could even function as a second display when stored on the back of the device.

The Huawei Mate X does something similar by folding its display horizontally, much like folding a book.

Thanks to 91mobiles, we have a pretty solid idea of what this phone will actually look like. However, the images leave us a bit puzzled as to how usable this phone actually is.

It doesn't seem like the most practical design to us, not to mention it begs the question of whether anyone really needs a super-long cell phone display in the first place.

The information contained in this patent is not only about a screen with the unique ability to unwrap. The document also clearly shows what the camera array of this concept phone would look like.

The phone will have five diamond-shaped rear cameras, one of which will most likely be a periscope lens. The patent does not suggest the presence of a front camera, and the headphone jack appears to be omitted. A USB-C port for charging is seen in the design.

Of course, Vivo's patenting of this design does not guarantee that the phone will be released at some point in the future. Companies often patent designs and products that, for one reason or another, never see the light of day.

However, we expect Vivo to release a foldable phone at some point. If you can't wait until then, check out our run-down of the best folding phones currently available.