Apple may introduce a radical new design for iPhone 8 to celebrate the iPhone's tenth anniversary in 2017. (Photo : Getty Images/Justin Sullivan)
Latest reports suggest that Apple is toying with the foldable display technology and chances are that the Cupertino tech titan may use it in its future smartphones. The United States Patent and Trademark Office has recently awarded the company a patent (serial number 9,485,862), featuring a foldable or bendable design.
The patent filing titled "Electronic devices with carbon nanotube printed circuits" describes Apple's plan to use carbon nanotubes to develop a foldable device. The images accompanying the patent filing shows a device resembling a tablet, which can be folded to change its shape into that of a smartphone. Apparently, Apple has also talked about the use of ceramic in the purported foldable device, GadgetsNow reported.
According to the patent, Apple has the option of using both single-wall and multi-wall carbon nanotubes in the foldable device. Alternatively, it can also use a combination of both to create a flexible display. "The carbon nanotube structures may be incorporated into signal cables such as flexible printed circuit cables, rigid printed circuit boards, printed circuits that include rigid portions with flexible tails ..," the website reported citing a snippet of the patent.
The Cupertino tech titan has been experimenting with the foldable and bendable smartphone concept since 2013. In fact, Apple received a patent on Flexible Electronic Device in 2015, enabling it to use flexible printed circuits, flexible displays and flexible batteries, News Week reported.
Since 2017 marks the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, speculations are rife that Apple may be planning something important for the company's flagship product. According to the publication, the new patent awarded to Apple has only fuelled imaginations and many anticipate that the company may incorporate the flexible display technology into its forthcoming flagship smartphone - iPhone 8.
However, Apple is not the only smartphone manufacturer to exploring the foldable smartphone concepts. Its main rival Samsung has already filed several patents related to this technology. While it is too early to say whether or not this technology will be incorporated into their products, it can certainly be said that these tech companies are really serious about trying to make the foldable technology concept a reality.
Watch the video on iPhone 8 concepts below:
