It appears that Apple wants to solve first the issue that Samsung encountered when it launched the Galaxy Fold before it launches the Foldable iPhone based on a recently uncovered document.
Patently Apple recently reported about a patent application filed by the Cupertino-based tech giant Apple. The said application covers a display that could heal itself, allowing it to conceal little marks. The document also mentions that it is for a foldable device with a display that spans the fold.
The possible application of this patent would be for a foldable iPhone. Apple knows that the durability of a foldable display is crucial to the success of a device. Based on the application, it seems that the company is working on the display's durability to prevent it from getting damaged due to its folding cycles.
The patent explores the possibility of minimizing possible damages. Titled "Electronic Devices With Flexible Display Cover Layers," Apple describes how the display could feature a display cover layer that comes with a flexible portion. The patent also believes that the ideal would be for the device to have the ability to repair itself automatically without the need for user intervention.
The images in the patent application show that the foldable display could sit at the exterior of the device like the Huawei Mate X or at the interior like the Galaxy Fold. According to Apple, the display cover could be made of glass, plastic, or any transparent material. In short, the company is trying to cover all potential bases for its foldable iPhone's display.
foldable iphone: iPhone with amazing display, screen will repair itself when broken – apple foldab; e iphone may come with advance self healing display technology pic.twitter.com/xgQ1b85p1s — Andro Root (@andro_root) October 2, 2020
It is not entirely clear how the self-healing would be used. However, the patent pictures that the process is being implemented and scheduled at regular intervals or when the device is being charged. In the application, the company mentions the use of heat for the self-healing process with transparent conductors that would create a heating layer in the display cover layer of the device.
The Cupertino tech giant is not in a hurry to introduce the latest technology to the market. However, it seems inevitable that the industry would see a foldable iPhone at some point. Based on earlier rumors, it appears that the company is still in the development stage and has not yet finalized the design of the foldable iPhone.
A few weeks ago, industry insider Ice Universe shared on Weibo that Apple was talking to Samsung Display for samples of foldable displays. Samsung "hopes to exclusively supply the amount for one year," the tipster added.
