Apple to partner with LG for the novel venture
Text: A.Ankitha
Apple has filed a patent for an iPhone that is to have a flexible portion that would allow the handset to be “opened and closed like a book.” This comes soon after a report claiming Apple was working with LG on a foldable iPhone. Apple filed for the patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) in 2014 which has been finally approved this month. Critical to Apple’s foldable design are the OLED panel and metallic hinge that will allow the display to be folded like clamshell mobile phones.
“An electronic device may have a flexible portion that allows the device to be folded. The device may have a flexible display. The flexible display may have a bending region that allows the display to bend along a bend axis when the device is folded,” Apple’s patent application said.
Image source: US Patent and Trademark Office
Earlier, reports claimed that Apple has decided to go with LG and not Samsung (the latter’s OLED displays are said to be the best in the industry) owing to the fear that specifications could be disclosed as Samsung is its arch rival.
Currently, some smartphones that feature OLED screens are iPhone X, Samsung Galaxy S8, Samsung Galaxy S8+, Samsung Galaxy Note 8, OnePlus 5, LG V30, and Vivo X9s. The “Galaxy X”, Samsung’s foldable display phone is expected to make an appearance during the CES consumer technology show in January 2018 according to various sources.
