Apple granted a second patent for a folding iPhone design with flexible hinge
Apple is granted its second patent for a foldable display which could be used for a folding iPhone.
Image source: Patently Apple
Apple is granted a second patent for a foldable display which could be used for a future folding iPhone.
The U.S Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published Apple's second granted patent which has several options for managing the hinge. There are figures in the patent that show a four-bar linkage configuration, a back-to-back configuration, another back-to-back configuration that can use magnetic structures, hook-and-loop fasteners, hook and notch structures and/or other mating structures, and a tri-fold configuration with a two hinge construction.
Image source: Patently Apple
In October 2017, The Bell reported that Apple was working with LG Display on a foldable iPhone. The timeline for the launch is likely to be in 2020. The USPTO also revealed a patent application by Apple in November 2017 which describes how an electronic device could have a flexible portion that allows it to be folded and how the flexible display might have a bending region.
Source: Patently Apple via 9to5Mac
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