The Galaxy Fold, which saw many hiccups and staggered releases, was the first one in Samsung last year to unleash a commercial foldable handset. With the logo of Samsung in the middle was a clear circle, also seen on the Huawei Mate X. Apple seems to have found a solution to the problem of the plumbing in its most recent patent, and the unusual hinge design holds the show even if it is folded up to avoid the plumbing. The Motorola Razr (2019) also employs a hinge feature, but the overall design differs greatly from that copyrighted by Apple.
The ‘Electronic Devices With Flexible Displays and Hinges’ patent was spotted on the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the sketches show that Apple is indeed considering a foldable device design.
The patent shows that Apple looks to build a unique hinge design that enables sufficient space between the two displays for the flexible screen to retract into, when folded. This space created in between the hinge, allows the display to stay in a curved state prevent any crease or tension. The hinge uses movable flaps to achieve this, something that can be easily understood in the GIF shared below.
All in all, the design is similar to the Galaxy Fold that folded out to offer more screen real estate. The design is not like the Motorola Razr 2019 that has a clamshell-like foldable design. Of course, this patent doesn’t necessarily mean that Apple will bring a foldable phone in the near future. The tech giant is known to let others test the waters with new technology, and then fine tune it if there is a mass appeal.
Apple is currently reported to be working on a low-cost iPhone, allegedly the iPhone SE 2, for launch in March this year. Some reports even suggest that this phone may be called the iPhone 9, and trial productions may have already begun.
