Apple’s recent patent filing suggests that the company is exploring the development of an iPhone with a rollable or scrollable design.
According to Gizmochina, the tech giant has applied for a patent for a gadget with a rollable or scrollable display, suggesting that future goods including iPhones, iPads, televisions, desktop displays, and car dashboards may use this technology.
The US Patent & Trademark Office recently made available the patent application, which expands on Apple’s 2014 investigation into expanding displays.
The device described by the invention has a display that can alternate between a rolled-up state for storage and an unrolled state for viewing.
The display is anticipated to be “planar” while it is “unrolled,” but it is anticipated to “bend around an axis onto a roller for storage” when it is “rolled.”
The report said, “The display could have a pixel array for image production and a transparent protective layer, which may include a layer of locally thinned glass to aid bending.”
The protective layer’s exterior surface might come into contact with something that could scratch it.
The inward-facing surface, however, is anticipated to be protected and likely to have less surface imperfections.
There are rumours that Apple is developing a folding MacBook that will make its debut in 2026, even if rollable screen gadgets may still be a ways off.
In March, the tech giant unveiled a patent application titled “Self-Retracting Display Device And Techniques For Protecting Screen Using Drop Detection,” disclosing their ongoing work on cutting-edge technology. This advancement aims to equip iPhones and iPads featuring flexible screens with the ability to detect drops and automatically fold up mid-air, thereby reducing potential damage upon impact.
The company asserts that this innovative display is designed to detach or fold, providing enhanced screen protection compared to conventional, potentially delicate hinges.