Samsung'd Better Watch Out Because Apple May Soon Release A Foldable Phone

Though we do not see Apple racing to release a foldable phone like other major players, it doesn’t mean the company is standing aside. In fact, the Cupertino-based tech firm has won a patent for a foldable display that it may use for iPhones as well as other devices. On Tuesday, the US Patent and Trademark Office granted the patent which describes a device featuring a flexible or bendable screen and cover, according to CNN report.

Apple filed the patent application back in January 2018, and it’s just one of the multiple applications made by the company around the foldable display idea. Previously, the tech giant also filed patents for a foldable screen that had touch sensors as well as portions capable of closing and opening like a book, along with a flexible iPhone which could fold in half.

In addition, earlier last year, Apple succeeded in securing a patent for its foldable phone with main focus on a flexible hinge and a fabric to house it. This February, it submitted a blueprint that described a bendable display housing hinges which could fold in half or thirds. A lot of devices can use this display, including tablets, laptops, phones, mobile accessories, etc.

On the other hand, we should remind ourselves that tech companies often patent ideas that they may never really work on, as stated in the report. Huawei and Samsung have already boasted their foldable phones at the 2019 MWC event held in Barcelona, and it’s expected that Apple will release its bendable phone by 2021. Recent reports say that people complained about the Samsung Galaxy Fold, which costs around $2,000, saying that it started breaking and had display issues within a few days in use. So while Apple may be late in the game, it can turn this into an advantage as it can watch and learn from previous mistakes with the foldable like those of Samsung and Huawei.