Apple Is Releasing a Foldable iPhone, and It’s Not Only About All Those Patents

jpishgar

VP, Global Community
Jan 5, 2010
252
9
18,965
The United States Patent and Trademark Office has revealed yet another Apple foldable phone patent. It’s the latest of many pointing at a future flexible iPhone, but it’s not the only reason why it’s clear that Apple will release a foldable phone sooner than later.

Read the full thread here on Tom's Guide:
Apple is Releasing a Foldable iPhone, and It's Not Only About All Those Patents

What's your take on this latest news? Let us know in the comments!
 
Mar 2, 2019
1
0
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I'm excited to see how well the new folding phones will do in general. I know there have been several attempts to design a folding phone in the past, all based on a heng with a nasty crack in the middle. I understand why those failed, but to now have a seamless folding point; it opens several new design possibilities and options. I think as long as the technology is dependable, sturdy, and of good quality, it should do well.

If I was Apple I would definitely be researching my own folding phone and designs. I would hold off on launching anything until after some of the others release theirs to the average consumer first. Apple has already lost the race to be the "first", so why not let the others launch and see how the public reacts. I would then take all the feedback from those and implement it in their own designs. That's just my opinion though.
 

DaleBr

Estimable
Feb 25, 2016
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4,510
I would like to know how Apple would be able to make a foldable/flexible screen. If the iPhone folded perfectly every time, the screen would eventually break down and the pixels would appear dim ... like a thin or medium thick strip across the screen. If it didn’t fold perfectly every time, or was folded, in your pocket, and received stress on it, the screen would torque causing a wider, unhorizontal, uneven strip where the pixels would wear-down and lighten. Watching videos, reading text, etc., would be greatly impaired. It’s not just the elements (pixels) of the display that would be affected, but also the surface of the screen itself. The pixels may be able to be made as chemical pixels vs. electronics, but the screen would still have to have some form of rigidity to it, and that surface would wear out due to bending. Apple may have a few slick tricks up its sleeves. I hope they do.