Apple might launch a foldable iPhone or iPad in the near future after all, as the company now owns a patent on technology that prevents displays from creasing. According to Patently Apple, the display is thinned at the folding area through chemical processing and might use different materials to keep the area smooth at all times.
Industry insiders from Korea claimed a launch in 2026 is a realistic goal, contrary to Ming-Chi Kuo’s claim that Apple’s first product with a foldable screen will be a 20.3” MacBook, scheduled for 2027.
Apple’s patent claims grooves in the display area can be countered with a transparent cover layer that overlaps the display panel. An elongated groove or other recess may be formed in the layer of glass that runs parallel to the bend axis, while overalpping the bend axis.
The locally thinned portion will be strengthened by a polymer deposited as a liquid in the groove, formed from the thinned portion, and subsequently cured by applying UV light, heat, catalyst, and other curing techniques.
The patent revealed that the entire composition of the glass might have to be changed. For example, sodium in the glass at the surface may be replaced by potassium. This would create compressive stress in treated surface layers, allowing the glass to resist scratching and other wear damage.
