Technology powerhouse, Apple is quietly making moves in the foldable phone industry. Earlier this week news broke that the company recently had a patent approved for a device that was foldable and minimizes creasing in the display.
Apple’s movement shows that they have an interest in creating a mechanism that has enough separation between the folded screen to avoid creasing and then have a material to shield the gap when it’s unfolded. Other ideas mention a heated area on the device to prevent any cracking or damage on the flexible display.
One of the most prolific phones currently in the folding phone market is the Samsung Galaxy Fold. Samsung’s first attempt was quite disastrous as the devices that were preliminarily sent out to tech reviewers and press were recalled. They released the model after improving the errors that were found previously. Meanwhile, Huawei and Motorola are other companies that have also created their own rendition of the folding phone. The Huawei model folds out from an exterior display into an 8-inch OLED tablet. The Motorola revitalizes its old flip-phone style but instead featuring a full folding display. It will be interesting to see if Apple is able to enter the market with minimal setbacks. This complicated technology is imaginably difficult to engineer, but must be something simple and effective for consumers to utilize and feel is dependable.
Unfortunately, these patents and rumors related to Apple leave a lot to the imagination. The possibilities are endless and Apple will be sure to do their due diligence before entering or deciding to enter the folding phone market. Especially since the market has not made its return to what it used to be. Time will tell just how serious Apple is about engineering this new style of phone.