A new patent, uncovered by MSPowerUser, reveals a possible design which Vole has been sitting on for a couple of years.

It shows a 2-in-1 foldable device with a flexible hinge which can act both as a smartphone and a tablet. If Microsoft does use it in its Surface phone it would certainly make the product stand out in an increasingly saturated mobile market.

In fact, it would be one of the few ways we have seen that could help Microsoft build what its CEO Satya Nadella dubbed as “the most ultimate mobile device”.

The device in the filings can be configured into various shapes, either folded out like tablets, or folded back inwards to create a smaller phone-like handset.

The inventor of the product in the patent is listed as Kabir Siddiqui, the man behind Microsoft's successful patent for the Surface kickstand and Surface camera angle.

Samsung is rumoured to be working on a similar smartphone design to the one detailed in Microsoft's patent, which was said to come with panels that fold out to form a 7-inch tablet.