Apple‘s interest in foldable technology is not new, as the company has been granted several patents in recent years related to the technology. The latest patent, which was granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office, describes a foldable display that is designed to be crack-resistant. This could potentially address one of the main concerns with foldable devices, which is their fragility.
The patent with patent number US-20230011092-A1 relates to a display that is made up of multiple layers, including a flexible substrate, a thin-film transistor layer, and a protective layer. The protective layer is designed to prevent cracks from forming in the flexible substrate, which is the part of the display that is most susceptible to damage.
In addition to the crack-resistant display, Apple has also been granted a patent for a self-healing display. This technology would allow the display to recover from small scratches, which is another common issue with foldable devices.
While many experts believe that a foldable iPhone is unlikely, there have been reports of a possible foldable iPad. This would allow Apple to experiment with the technology and refine it before potentially releasing a foldable iPhone. A foldable iPad would also be less risky for the company, as the iPad is a less important product in Apple’s portfolio compared to the iPhone.
With more and more companies entering the foldable market, including Google with its upcoming Pixel Fold, it seems likely that we will see a foldable device from Apple in the near future. This new patent and previous ones on self-healing displays will likely be a key factor in the development of Apple’s foldable device, bringing more durability and reliability to the foldable form factor.
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