The Surface Phone has been consistently in the rumor mill for the past few years, although Microsoft has never confirmed or denied that such device is under development. Some tech enthusiasts are starting to think that the Surface Phone, also dubbed the Andromeda handset, will no longer see the light of day, but the recent patent leaks reportedly filed by the Redmond-based tech firm suggest otherwise. The patent filing spotted this week talks about a "multi-part device" with a special live hinge that makes the handset foldable up to 360 degrees.

According to the latest reports, Microsoft has submitted a patent application for the long-rumored Surface Phone or Andromeda device. Consistent with the previous rumors about the handset's foldable nature, the patent gives details regarding a live hinge that allows the device to be folded together like a pocketbook, with the dual screen panels inside. This way, there will be no need to have an additional protective casing to protect the screen as it is already covered. 

The Microsoft Surface Phone patent document also shows that the device can be folded all the way around in a 360-degree fashion, thus having the dual screen panels exposed. Of course, the foldable handset can be adjusted so that both screen panels are opened flat to form a widescreen display. The division or the seam between the two screen panels are almost not visible when the Surface Phone is folded outwards in tablet mode.

Microsoft stated in the leaked Surface Phone patent that making the device foldable is the answer to the reduced portability of handsets with large display sizes. While the current flagship smartphones have introduced exciting new features, the portability has been compromised as these features require a larger size for the device. 

The expected release date of the Surface Phone is still uncertain, especially that Microsoft has not yet provided any concrete details regarding the rumored handset. Adding to the uncertainty is the company's announcement that it will no longer support Windows 10 phones. Although, the Surface Phone has been rumored to run the new Windows Core OS, so its launch could introduce a new era in Microsoft's smartphone lineup.