Apple is developing a number of new iPhone models, and a foldable device is not the only one on the agenda.
According to Patently Apple, the Cupertino behemoth may also be developing a rollable iPhone with a sliding screen. In accordance with their report, Apple has been given permission to use a patent for this technology that was submitted in November 2022 and released this week.
The patent gives details on an electronic device that:
The rollable portion of a display is highlighted in the invention by the use of a “locally thinned” layer of glass. The arrangement of the display is made to allow for “compressive stress in the outwardly facing glass surface may help deter any damage when the display is flexed.”
The patent specifically mentions portable devices like cellphones even though it mostly refers to electronic equipment with displays.
It is possible to have rollable screens. With its rollable OLED TV and a rollable phone that was almost released but was sadly never commercially available, LG has been a pioneer in this niche market. Several rollable phone designs have also been exhibited by Motorola and Oppo, however neither business has ever made a widely available version of such a phone.
Apple, on the other hand, tends to be more cautious when integrating such technologies into its widely used goods. There is some hope for a potential rollable iPhone or iPad in the future according to Apple’s patent for devices with rollable displays.
It’s best to avoid expecting this development any time soon, though.
