On March 8th, it was announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office officially disclosed Apple's patent application, revealing the design of Apple's future foldable screen products, including iPhones, hybrid tablet-laptop devices, and more.
An Apple executive responded to this development by stating: "After careful consideration, the company has confirmed that the release of the first foldable screen iPhone will be delayed until 2026, which is later than initially anticipated internally."
The executive emphasized, "Given the later release compared to competitors, we will focus on incorporating more advanced technology."
The executive revealed that the foldable iPhone is expected to be thinner and lighter than competitors' models, with internal goals also including avoiding crease issues.
Apple has previously been exposed to a folding screen patent called "Electronic Devices with Flexible Display Cover Layers," which includes a layer of material that can "self-heal" to reduce folds/scratches.
It's worth noting that according to several industry analysts, Apple may be planning to launch a folding screen iPad in 2024-2025, starting with a larger size as a trial, and then applying it to smaller-sized phones later on.
