The iPhone Flip or another future foldable iPhone could feature a unique, crack-resistant display made of mixed materials — not just flexible glass.
According to an updated patent, Apple has proposed using ceramic particles to reinforce the protective layer of a folding smartphone.
As PatentlyApple points out, this insight comes from a continuation patent, meaning Apple updated a previous patent with new information. While Apple has protected several ideas surrounding foldable iPhones so far, this addendum could reveal the company is actively attempting to create one of the best foldable phones yet.
- iPhone 13 release date, price, specs and rumors
- Everything we know about Apple Watch 7
- Plus: WhatsApp killer feature could make it easier to switch between Android and iOS
The patent’s attached images show how Apple’s special crack-resistant display could work on devices that fold horizontally and vertically. We don’t know yet whether the loosely-named iPhone Flip will look more like the phablet Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 or clamshell Motorola Razr, but we do know Apple has tested (or is testing) both orientations for flexible displays.
We typically recommend taking patents with a grain of salt, since there’s no guarantee these blueprints will ever see the light of day. In fact, few ever do. But given the growing backlog of foldable iPhone patents and practical nature of this application, it seems like a realistic pitch. More
