Apple Foldable Phone Patent Revealed
In the ongoing race of foldable smartphones, American tech giant Apple is looking to introduce its own contender. An Apple foldable device has been in the rumours for quite some time, and as per the latest reports, it may not be far from turning into a reality. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has published a total of 85 patents for the company, two of which include a foldable iDevice and a smart keyboard which resembles the iPad’s Folio keyboard.
Patent For Foldable iDevice
The application titled “Apple invents both Single and Multi-Fold Device Form Factors for Future iDevices” was filed by the company in the month of August 2018. The patent covers electronic devices that feature a bendable region. Such a device will sport a display layer and a cover layer that can fold around the aforementioned bendable region. The patent indicates that the flexible cover layer may be made out of ceramic so as to increase the detail of protection against falls and scratches. Additionally, the flexible cover may also provide structural integrity to the foldable device.
The patent exhibits the ability of the foldable device to transform into a tablet, which would enable the user to make use of the entire display surface. The device can be folded two times, which implies that almost one third of the total display surface will be visible when the device is in its folded state.
Patent For Smart Keyboard Design
The second patent covers a device that is quite similar to the Apple Folio smart keyboard, which was released alongside the iPad Pro 12.9 in the year 2016. The patent includes images of a variety of designs for a new smart keyboard that may be announced in the future. One of the images showcases a keyboard design with a space above the keyboard which can be used to input data via the Apple Pencil. Another design features the inclusion of a trackpad to the keyboard.
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It is unsure whether the company will unveil any new products based on the preceding form factors anytime soon. Previously, concept renders had surfaced, which showed off the design of a probable foldable iPhone. Considering the ongoing trend of foldable smartphones (such as the Samsung Galaxy Fold), Apple is expected to announce its own version of the foldable smartphone at its launch event in September 2019, where the company will launch its next generation iPhones.
