Apple this week has been granted a patent for a foldable device with a unique hinge mechanism that utilizes movable flaps to help prevent the display from being creased or damaged when folded.
Published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today, the patent explains that the hinge mechanism would ensure adequate separation between the first and second portions of the display. When the device is unfolded, movable flaps would extend to cover the gap, and then retract when the device is folded.
Early foldable smartphones like Samsung's Galaxy Fold and Huawei's Mate X have noticeable creases along the bending portion of the display. Motorola's new foldable Razr avoids this issue with a unique hinge design, but early reviews indicate the device makes creaking sounds when opened or closed.
All in all, it is still early days for foldable smartphones, with lots of room for innovation. Apple has certainly shown an interest in the category with several patents for foldable devices and mechanisms over the past few years, but it remains to be seen if the company ever releases a foldable iPhone or iPad.
Thursday March 19, 2026 12:27 pm PDT by Joe Rossignol
In a research note for investment bank Barclays earlier this month, Apple analyst Tim Long said his supply chain sources mentioned the possibility of the iPhone 18 base model being announced in March next year, rather than in September this year. This split launch has been widely rumored by multiple sources in recent months.
More interestingly, Long dropped two unique pieces of information.
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Apple's upcoming foldable iPhone will use a dual-layer ultra-thin glass structure to reduce display crease visibility, a new supply chain rumor suggests.
According to Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station, Apple's first book-style foldable will feature two layers of ultra-thin glass (UTG) or ultra-thin flexible glass (UFG), with the display sandwiched between them, isolating it from direct ...
Apple is working on "the biggest set of iPhone revamps in the product's history," according to the latest word from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Specifically, he is referring to the long-rumored foldable iPhone, as well as an ambitious 20th-anniversary iPhone with a truly "edge-to-edge" design.
In an in-depth profile of Apple's hardware engineering chief John Ternus, who is widely considered...
