The Verge has spotted a Samsung patent filing showing a new design for a phone with a wraparound OLED screen. The actual purpose of the patent is to stake claim to the idea of sectioning off the side of the display and using it as a sort of "second screen" for UI elements, but we're more concerned with the wild device concept pictured in the patents. Samsung envisions the side of the display showing navigational elements, shortcuts, and clipboard storage.

Most of the pictures are pretty similar, with the main part of the display being used for the usual applications and the side filled with some kind of glorified scroll bar. The above picture shows the quick scroll letter previews found in most contact user interfaces, just pushed off to the side of the device. There are similar pictures for book chapters and calendar events.

Another picture shows the side of the screen being used as a drag-and-drop container for a clipboard of sorts. Presumably the clipboard would stay on the side of the screen while you switch apps, then you could drag the clipped content out of the sidebar and into your app of choice.

More screen real estate is always a good thing, but how exactly is a user supposed to hold a device like this? A normal phone grip would put several fingers in contact with the touch surface on the side of the phone. There's also the terrifying prospect of the sides of the phone being made of glass, meaning just about any drop would destroy the phone. You really wouldn't be able to put a case on a design like this, either.

This is only a patent application, so Samsung won't necessarily build a device like this. Various manufacturers have been experimenting with flexible OLED screens for about 5 years now and have promised commercial products seemingly every year for the past three years. Flexible OLEDs are finally turning the corner, though, with the curved Galaxy Round and LG G Flex seeing release in South Korea recently. Get ready, because cell phone designs are about to get a whole lot weirder.