Apple has long been rumored to be working on a foldable iPhone, but a new patent suggests that stretchable and bendable displays could be in the works for numerous future Apple products.
As spotted by AppleInsider, the patent is simply titled “Stretchable Display” and goes on to describe a display that can wrap around different surfaces and shapes, while still functioning as a standard OLED display.
While the patent does not specifically mention any devices in Apple's portfolio, it could be used for several of them. Imagine, for example, a HomePod with a screen that curves around the top of the speaker.
The patent is notable for the number of inventors attached: 55 instead of the usual 10. However, as is always the case with patents, this is just an indication of what a company spends time researching; there is no guarantee that we will ever see this technology in a real product.
How could this be used?
We've already mentioned how a future HomePod could have a screen that stretches and wraps around the device, and such a screen could also find use in a foldable iPhone, allowing the phone to have a wraparound screen on the outside, as has already been done. rumored
Then there's the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch 10 is supposed to come with some design tweaks, but a future model could have a screen that wraps around your entire wrist (Apple has filed patents hinting at this in the past).
The patent mentions phones and watches, but also laptops, smart glasses, virtual reality headsets, and kiosk and car displays. This is clearly a technology that could find a place in many Apple products, if its development continues.
That development will most likely take several years, so we won't see it appear on the iPhone 16. However, don't be surprised if future Apple devices, like a full-screen MacBook, arrive with screens that can stretch as long as may be possible. as well as fold.
