Recent Apple patent hints at a sleek feature for the foldable iPhone.
It seems that the tech giant based in Cupertino is working on a foldable handset – at least that’s what all the speculations show us. And if a new patent filing is something we can believe, Apple’s found a way to make its next foldable stand out from the likes of Motorola Razr and Galaxy Flip Z. Here is what you need to know.
The Foldable iPhone Could Arrive With a Killer Feature
An Apple foldable handset patent discovered by 9tosMac displays a device that folds on a hinge like many currently available phones do. Unlike those phones where the display folds in half, this Apple patent indicates a device where the fold is offset to keep some of the main screen exposed when the phone is closed.
That exposed display would work as a notification menu – we can think of it as a Touch Bar, but on a handset – that could notify you about incoming messages, appointments, alarms, and other relevant information. Apple’s patent also shows that the screen could still be interactive even when the device is shut.
Current phones rely on a separate external display for those kinds of notifications. The Samsung Galaxy Fold, for instance, it has a 4.6-inch display, while the Galaxy Z Flip makes do with a 1.1-inch strip. However, in both cases, no side of the interior screen’s exposed like the Apple foldable handset shows.
Of course, there is a lot of difference between a patent that hypothesizes how something could operate and a production handset that works that way. Apple is known to have many patents that cover lots of foldable smartphone approaches, from a double-folding design to movable flaps to cover the hinge. So, a patent is no guarantee that the tech giant’s foldable handset will look as depicted or even ship.
