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When the iPhone Flip finally appears, you could have a self-healing screen to get rid of those pesky scratches and marks on your screen.
According to a patent found by AppleInsider, this screen could be used in a number of different mobile devices, from smart watches to laptops, or even for non-foldable devices. But the most obvious use, and the one where the patent spends the most time, is a foldable phone.
- iPhone Flip: Everything We Know About Apple’s Foldable Phone Plans
- See what’s rumored about Apple’s next phone, the iPhone 12
In the “Electronic Devices with Flexible Screen Cover Layers” patent, Apple details a screen made of two fixed panels joined by a flexible one in the middle, potentially using elastomer parts. But more interesting is the mention of a layer of “self-healing material”, which would cover the other layers and minimize the appearance of scratches and dents in the flex area or the entire screen.
Because folding phones cannot use the normal tempered glass outer shell that landlines do, they are more prone to damage from normal use or dirt. Even if this doesn’t stop the phone’s touchscreen from working, it still makes your very expensive device look less than the best.
The patent also suggests using light, heat, or other stimuli to make the layer reform again. In the case of using heat, the phone could use a layer of heating elements that go through the screen and that will activate when the phone is charging or when a user turns it on manually. You won’t find many specific details on how exactly this system works, but it would certainly be useful to have this layer on a foldable iPhone.
The patent is also not specific on how the phone would fold. While we would expect the phone to fold the screen, like the Galaxy Z Flip 5G or the Motorola Razr, the patent also mentions that the screen is visible around the outside of the folded device. This has been done before, for example, by the Huawei Mate X and Mate Xs or Royole FlexPai, but it is much less common, in part because there is a greater risk of damaging the screen.
Because patents are only to reserve ownership of a design, there is no way to confirm whether any future product would use this technology. However, expecting it to become a reality is not far-fetched, as the numerous patents Apple has already filed for folding devices seem to suggest that sooner or later we will get a foldable iPhone.
In the meantime, we can look forward to the iPhone 12. It can’t be folded, but it will have 5G, three new size options, and some new photography tricks thanks to a LiDAR sensor on both Pro models. We expect it to launch as soon as May 13. October, which is the rumored date of Apple’s next big event.
