Anew patentawarded to Apple today , uncovered byPatently Apple , shows the company is exploring a folding iPhone concept , confirming what rumour have longs suggested . Apple was believed to be researching foldable iPhone designs startingback in 2013 , but young evidence hint the company is still serious about pretend this concept a world at some point .
The young letters patent was really file back in August 28 , but was only officially award to Apple today . Patently Appleclaims the company was able-bodied to keep its newest foldable iPhone patent under wraps by using an engineer ’s name during the filing process . The patent of invention itself explicitly uses the iPhone sobriquet ( rather than referring to it as a generic “ electronic gadget ” ) and shows several lottery depicting the current design we all get laid , include the iconic home button .
Where the letters patent get interesting is in its verbal description of the materials that could be used to make the future iPhone . It explicitly draw an iPhone housing that could be made with drinking glass , ceramic , fiber , aluminum or plastic — which is n’t much dissimilar than what ’s presently used . The genuine revelation , however , is in the letters patent ’s verbal description of “ carbon nanotubes ” that would allow the iPhone to literally fold in one-half down the center .
Here ’s what the patent of invention says :
Conductive carbon carbon nanotube paths can form signal path that are pliable and resistant to cracking . The carbon nanotube structure may be incorporated into signal cables such as flexible printed electrical circuit cables , set publish circuit card , printed circuits that admit rigid portions with flexible tails ( sometimes referred to as “ rigid flex ” ) , portions of display structures , portions of touch detector such as capacitive touch sensor array for display or track pads , camera social organisation , aerial structure , caparison structures , inner equipment structure , electric components , substratum , brackets , trapping walls , other structures , or combining of these anatomical structure .
The letters patent drop dead on to say the succeeding gimmick “ may have a hinge or other bendable junction ” and of course register a picture of that conception . Although this sound wildly misguide , Apple ’s chief rival Samsung has also been go after similar engineering and designs . Samsung has patent so many foldaway phone designs , Patently Mobile create ahuge archiveto keep caterpillar track of them all .
Do n’t carry to see a foldable iPhone anytime soon , though . It ’s important to remember that not all patents turn into product , and even if patents are eventually used in real - life products , its takes years for them to ever see the visible radiation of daylight . So do n’t wait for a foldaway iPhone because theiPhone 7 is already great — even without the power to fold up in one-half .
[ USPTOviaPatently Apple ]
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