Imerj showcases twin-screen Android smartphone tablet hybrid

A company called Imerj is bringing to market a mobile device that puts a new twist on smartphone design, sporting a flip-out second screen that converts it into a larger tablet-style unit.

Dubbed the 2-in-1 Smartpad, the new device can be seen on the Imerj web site and in a video posted by the company on YouTube.

The Android-based unit has two screens that are hinged in the middle, arranged so they form one contiguous 6in display when opened up, while allowing the Smartpad to be used just like a regular touch-screen smartphone when the second display is folded back.

Imerj claims that the device combines the best of smartphones and tablets, enabling applications to expand seamlessly across both displays as required.

The video also demonstrates the device being rotated so that one screen can be used as a touch-sensitive keyboard while the other displays the application the user is typing into.

Sony is another company bringing to market a dual-screen tablet, but its S2 device is larger, with two 5.5in displays that open up clamshell-style, more closely resembling a laptop.

Few other details of Imerj's 2-in-1 Smartpad have been confirmed, but the device will have super Amoled displays with Gorilla Glass, protection that will be needed with both screens exposed for much of the time.

The company has yet to disclose when the device will be available, saying only that it is coming soon.