*Header image is referential and showcases the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6. | Image credit — PhoneArena
A foldable iPhone is very much a tech industry myth for now, an enigma wrapped in rumors and unverifiable leaks. However, there’s one avenue of obtaining information about this potential phone that gives us a much more grounded look at what Apple may be planning: patents. And an update to a very old patent suggests that the company wants to mimic today’s popular foldables.
According to patent ‘20240310942’ Apple is now thinking about adding an outer display to its foldable as well. The patent describes the layout of modern foldable phones: a larger, foldable inner display and another outer display. Apple also illustrates and talks about a tri-foldable display. Kind of like the one found on the Huawei Mate XT: a behemoth of a device.
Interestingly, the specific wording the patent uses is “Folding iPhone (& Other Devices)”, hinting at other possible foldable devices. Imagine a tri-foldable iPad that can open up to be as big as a small desk. Ridiculous and over the top? Yep! But would it grab attention at stores? Also yes.
As with everything else, I reckon Apple will take its time with this. | Image credit — Apple
Foldables have gained a ton of popularity recently and it makes perfect sense Apple would want to jump onto that trend as well. Samsung, Google and other phone manufacturers beat Apple to the punch, but the company usually likes to take its time to do things “the Apple way”.
But if Apple takes too long it might just be too late. Samsung is allegedly set to debut a rollable display next year. That would not only be an insane feat of engineering, it might also render foldables obsolete if everyone begins to make rollable displays of their own.
A rollable display has one major benefit over folding displays as far as I can tell: variable length. Users can choose just how big they want their phone’s screen to be at any given time, kind of like measuring tape. I don’t envy the people who will be tasked to design an operating system that adapts to that.
Of course, patents are just patents in the end. We might never see a foldable iPhone become a reality. But if we do, you can bet it’ll sell like hot cakes.
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Abdullah is an ardent believer in the future of VR, and can't wait to see what more it brings to the table as technology improves. He enjoys covering new software releases in the XR industry, as well as major news about hardware and companies focused on VR.
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