Apple has been toying with the idea of a foldable phone (which could launch as the iPhone Flip or iPhone Fold) for a while now. We know this because of various leaks and patents that have emerged, and now there’s one more rumor to be added to the heap, as a new Apple patent aims to fix one of the biggest problems with foldable phones.
Spotted by Patently Apple, the patent was filed in April and published on October 27, 2020, and it details a protective layer for foldable screens, designed to prevent cracks.
This ‘hardcoat layer’ would both help defend against cracks forming, and also fill pre-existing micro-cracks, which is important since, as the patent notes, glass fractures tend to initiate from the presence of micro-cracks. So by filling them in the screen is less likely to break.
Foldable phones are typically more vulnerable to damage than normal smartphones due to all the moving parts, not to mention the flexible display, so adding some durability is important for buyers’ piece of mind.
As ever with patents though, it’s worth noting that this won’t necessarily get used on a commercial product, it just means Apple is exploring the idea. We can’t be certain that the company will even launch a foldable phone, though it’s rumored that the company does have a foldable prototype.
So it’s possible that the iPhone 13 (or some version of it) will be foldable, especially as rivals such as Samsung and Huawei have had foldable phones for years now.
But they’re still not mainstream devices, so Apple probably won’t be in any hurry to join the fray. More likely the iPhone 14 or 15 will be foldable, assuming Apple ever commits to the idea.
Via MacRumors
