When will Apple bring its foldable iPhone? Well, this is a question every Apple fan has been waiting for. In the competitive market of smartphones, where all companies are bringing the best features, foldable is the new big thing. Samsung, OnePlus, Vivo and many other companies are already in the game with their phones that can flip or fold. But it seems that Apple will not delay any longer in bringing its foldable iPhone and iPad. Or so are the hopes now after looking at Apple’s latest patent, which addresses a key challenge in the development of foldable devices: the durability of glass displays.

Apple’s latest patent, titled “Electronic Device with Durable Folding Display”, reported by Apple Insider, provides insight into how Apple plans to overcome the problems associated with foldable technology. The patent reveals that Apple is exploring a dual approach to create a foldable glass display that is both flexible and durable. At its core, the patent outlines a method for creating a flexible, locally thin portion in the glass layer along the bend axis. This design feature is reportedly crucial for the display glass to bend without breaking.

“A depression may form in the glass layer that propagates along the bend axis. This depression may create a locally flexible thin portion in the glass layer that allows the glass layer to bend about the bend axis,” Apple explains in the patent.

This technical information suggests that Apple is considering a foldable display made of two regular glass panels placed on either side of a hinge. By making the glass thinner at the bending point, the panels can be bent more easily, reducing the risk of damage. If used in a foldable iPhone or iPad, this would allow Apple to achieve a seamless folding mechanism while maintaining the quality of the display.

In addition to the flexibility of the glass, Apple’s patent also addresses the need for improved durability. Apple proposes increasing the thickness of the glass at the corners and edges of the display. This design is intended to improve impact resistance, particularly during fall events. The patent states, “To ensure that the display cover layer exhibits satisfactory impact resistance during fall events, the corner portions of the display cover layer and other edge portions of the display cover layer may be provided with a greater thickness than other portions of the display cover layer outside of the locally thinner portion.”

This thicker glass on the corners and edges will help Apple greatly reduce the chances of the device cracking or breaking if dropped. By addressing both flexibility and durability, Apple plans to solve some of the biggest problems associated with foldable devices.

Notably, this is not the first time speculations of Apple’s foldable device have caught attention. Earlier reports claimed that Apple is working on two different models of foldable devices, possibly an iPhone and an iPad. Although there were reports that Apple might drop the idea of ​​a foldable device, new reports suggest that Apple is all set to bring a foldable device soon.

However, this patent does not guarantee that Apple will bring a foldable device soon. We have seen Apple receive patents for several technologies every year, but not all of them make it to the final product for consumers. However, it shows that Apple is really serious about competing in the foldable device segment, and it will be interesting to see what Apple brings if it does bring a foldable device.