Apple granted patent for foldable device, here's what it could look like

2021-05-16

Apple has filed a patent application for a foldable device, which folds inwards much like the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

In Apple"s patent the device has a display layer and a protective cover layer on top that are designed to fold or bend along a specific bendable region (like the hinge on the Fold).

The protective layer (which will be on top of the display layer) will reportedly be made of a ceramic material like glass, sapphire or zirconia.

The figure below shows a folding device with the display on the inside, folding in on itself (figures 1A and 1B). It"s unclear what we see in figure 4A. It could be the same device, only folded a third time, or possibly even a separate design.

Rumors tentatively suggest 2020 as the designated year of release of Apple"s first foldable iPhone.

Meanwhile Apple was reportedly granted a second patent for a Smart Keyboard Folio. The released figure suggests that it will feature a trackpad on one side and possibly a keyboard and Apple Pencil-enabled touch area on the other.

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