New Apple Patents Point To A Foldable iPhone?
The latest Apple patent listed with the United States Patent and Trademark Organization (USPTO) suggests that the company is looking to engineer a three-layer foldable display that could be difficult to crack. The display in question would use a flexible substrate layer, a thin-film transistor layer, and a protective layer. The goal for the protective layer on top would be to protect the flexible substrate, which is the most susceptible layer in a foldable display, from cracking during the rigors of regular use.
The patent comes courtesy of GizmoChina, which states that Apple has also secured a second patent for a display technology with a protective layer that can heal itself from minor scratches and regular wear and tear. It’s not entirely clear how this technology will work, though it could involve a composite chemical material that comprises the top layer of the display to repair some scratches.
To be sure, the concept of a self-healing display has been around for a long time, but has yet to see any real-world implementation. Apple hasn’t even shown real-world signs of launching a foldable iPhone, and its longtime market rival, Samsung, has one of the most established foldable smartphone lineups today. However, rumors have regularly tipped a 2023 launch date for the folding iPhone, which is likely the reason for the excitement surrounding this Apple patent filing.
While neither patent really guarantees anything, it will be interesting to see if that translates into consumer products.
