Apple has been granted yet another patent (number US 11928301 B2) for devices with “sidewall” displays that adds credence to some rumors that the company is working on a “curved” iPhone. The tech giant has been granted other patents for such tech and, to the Sellers Research Group (that’s me) this is more feasible than a foldable iPhone.
About the patent filing
The patent involves devices with flexible displays (and this could also apply to iPads, even Mac laptops) that could be bent to form displays on multiple surfaces of the devices. These mini-screens could offer additional functionality.
In the patent filing, Apple notes that conventional devices have input-output components such as buttons, microphones, speakers, and other components that receive or transmit tactile input from a user mounted on edges of the device away from the display. Tactile input components are often formed from sliding or reciprocating button members and associated electrical components such as switches.
Flexible display technologies are available that allow displays to be flexed. Apple wants to use flexible display technology to provide improved electronic devices with wraparound displays or screens with info displayed on sidewalls.
Summary of the patent filing
Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “Electronic devices may be provided that contain flexible displays that are bent to form displays on multiple surfaces of the devices. Bent flexible displays may be bent to form front side displays and edge displays. Edge displays may be separated from front side displays or from other edge displays using patterned housing members, printed or painted masks, or by selectively activating and inactivating display pixels associated with the flexible display.
“Edge displays may alternately function as virtual buttons, virtual switches, or informational displays that are supplemental to front side displays. Virtual buttons may include transparent button members, lenses, haptic feedback components, audio feedback components, or other components for providing feedback to a user when virtual buttons are activated.”
