New Apple Patent Hints at a Future Foldable Device

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has approved a recent Apple patent for a foldable device with a clamshell design and virtual buttons on the side. 

Earlier this week, Apple got approval for a new foldable design patent that explores the idea of “Electronic Devices With Display and Touch Sensor Structures.” 

The patent includes drawings of a foldable phone or tablet with a wraparound screen. However, the display and touch sensor layers overlap, allowing users to touch multiple parts of the device to perform specific tasks.  

For example, a touch-sensitive side, which Apple described as a “virtual shutter button,” could allow users to control the device’s camera. Users can also slide a finger up and down the device’s side to regulate its volume. 

But does it mean Apple will finally announce a foldable iPhone? 

New Apple Patent Suggests a Foldable iPhone Design?

Unlike competitors such as Samsung, Motorola, Xiaomi, and Oppo, Apple hasn’t released a foldable device. However, several analysts have hinted that the tech giant could announce a foldable device soon. 

Earlier in the year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that Apple would launch a foldable iPad with a carbon fiber kickstand sometime in 2024. Before that, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that the iPhone maker was working on a foldable device with a 20-inch dual display. 

Whatever the case, the newly-approved patent adds to the anticipation of a foldable Apple design. 

According to CNBC, the analysts at UBS say the patent “could indicate a foldable device is a possibility but not this year.” They further note that a foldable Apple smartphone “could be an incremental opportunity for future generation iPhone models.”

However, Ben Wood, the chief of research at Market research firm CCS Insight believes it’s too soon to expect a foldable iPhone. 

“Right now it doesn’t make sense for Apple to make a foldable iPhone. We think they will shun that trend and probably dip a toe in the water with a foldable iPad,” Wood told CNBC. 

So the patent is more likely for a foldable iPad, which aligns with Kuo’s claim.