Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on iMore.com.
Apple is, as yet, one of the only big cell phone makers that is yet to create a folding device. While the likes of Google, Samsung, and Motorola have all stuck some kind of foldable display in a top-of-the-range handset, Apple instead seems to be waiting until the technology becomes less experimental and more big market ready. At least, market-ready in its eyes.
There is some movement now from the Apple camp, however, as a patent is logged that shows a rollable display. It seems to roll a little like a kind of futuristic ancient Egyptian scroll, a little different to the folding displays available now.
Folding iPhone is still far, far away
It’s worth noting first that it’s highly unlikely we’ll see any kind of folding screen on an iPhone soon. Patents are just there to make sure that a technology is in some way protected, should Apple want to make it in the future. This one is still a fun one to think about, however, and given how loads of foldable devices are already available, it’s easy to see that Apple could well release a folding, or in this case a rolling, iPhone in the near future.
This foldable screen is a little different from others out there – while most of the folding screens we have at the moment bisect in the middle to make the device like a book, this one will scroll from the edges as it extends and gets bigger. This could be in some effort to eliminate the folding screens’ propensity to have an unsightly groove along the fold line.
Again, it’s not like we’re going to see one of the best iPhones with a folding screen any time soon – we already know that iPhone 16 is going to be a slab like all the other iPhones, and the iPhone 15 is close enough that this patent means nothing to Apple’s immediate plans. But it is fun to think about, no?
About the Author
As iMore’s Senior Staff writer, Tammy Rogers uses her background in audio and Masters in screenwriting to pen engaging product reviews and informative buying guides. The resident audiophile (or audio weirdo), she’s got an eye for detail and a love of top-quality sound. Apple is her bread and butter, with attention on HomeKit and Apple iPhone and Mac hardware. You won’t find her far away from a keyboard even outside of working at iMore – in her spare time, she spends her free time writing feature-length and TV screenplays. Also known to enjoy driving digital cars around virtual circuits, to varying degrees of success. Just don’t ask her about AirPods Max – you probably won’t like her answer.
See also:
