Apple has filed for a patent that hints at foldable iPhones, iPads, and Mac laptops. It may confirm various rumors.
A May investor note from from Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu — claimed that Apple will begin mass production of a 20.3-inch foldable device in late 2025, followed by a foldable iPhone in late 2026. The devices are expected to be a foldable 20.3-inch MacBook/iPad hybrid, as well as a smartphone.
About the patent filing
The patent filing is dubbed “Segmented Glass for Foldable Devices.” In the patent filing, Apple notes that in some electronic devices, displays may be covered with protective cover glass.
However, if Apple makes foldable iPhones, iPads, and/or Macs, the cover glass would have to be foldable. The company’s patent filing involves a folding electronic device in a partly folded configuration. Apple says the device may be a smartphone, tablet computer, or laptop computer.
About the patent filing
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “An electronic device may have a display and may be configured to fold about a bend axis that overlaps the display. The display may have a display cover layer having first, second, and third portions that are joined side-by-side.
“The second portion may have a strip shape that extends along the bend axis and may be configured to bend as the first and third portions are folded towards each other. The second portion may be formed from a different material than the first and third portions to facilitate bending. The second portion may also be characterized by a compressive stress layer that is shallower than compressive stress layers on the first and third portions.:
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