Table of Contents
Introduction
The rumors of a folding iPhone have been surfacing for quite a long time since 2020. Especially after the release of foldable smartphones from Samsung, speculations were there that iPhones too are gearing up for their own series of foldable phones.
Various patents suggest the Cupertino tech giant has been working on such a device to launch in the coming years. Now, a recent patent suggests that Apple might implement an advanced hinge based on gears on its upcoming foldable device.
Sources are implying that the foldable smartphones are under investigation of Cupertino Giants and can be launched around sometime in 2022 or so.
This makes the foldable iPhone sound pretty similar to Microsoft’s Surface Duo, on paper. They are also testing whether OLED or MicroLED would be better for the foldable smartphones.
How Will It Work?
The patent points out that the
“first and second portions of an electronic device housing for the [foldable] device may be joined using a hinge”.
It further explains that the hinge might contain
“toothed members such as gears and a rack member”
to fold a flexible display in both directions.
Apple can certainly go superfluous with it.
“The rack member may have a surface with curved portions. The gears may include rotating gears that walk along the curved portions of the rack member as the electronic device is folded and unfolded.
The hinge may include gears that are fixedly attached to the first and second housing portions and that engage the rotating gears. Linkage members may hold together gears and the rack member,”
reads the patent.
Summary
In simple words, this geared-hinge mechanism will let you fold the upcoming Apple device both inwards and outwards. So, you can either open it up like a book for a big-screen experience, or fold it outwards all the way to the back to get a compact dual-screen device, giving an outstanding experience overall.
Moreover, the patent notifies that this mechanism will work with any kind of display.
“The display may be an organic light-emitting diode display, a micro-light-emitting diode display formed from an array of crystalline semiconductor light-emitting diode dies, and/or maybe any other suitable display,”
further adds the patent.