Apple is moving beyond foldable devices and filing for a ‘stretchable display patent’

Apple continues to impress its fans with groundbreaking innovations. However, the company has so far refrained from entering the foldable device market. But not anymore, as sources suggest Apple is developing a “stretchable display.”

This speculation has intensified following Apple’s recent patent filing mentioning this new technology. If realized, this could lead to screens that wrap seamlessly around surfaces while retaining the visual splendor of OLED displays.

Revolutionary display technology: Apple’s patent for a stretchable screen

Although Apple has been experimenting with foldable phone prototypes for some time, it has yet to release a product. The company’s shift toward “stretchable displays” could revolutionize the tech industry.

The patent application, aptly titled “Stretchable Display,” lists an unusually large number of inventors, 55 (usually the number is between 1 and 10). Many of those inventors are based in California or Taiwan, where Apple’s research centers are located.

The patent is also brief, with 13 images and just 22 pages. “These pages, however, focus on the specifics of the stretchable display and the hermetically sealed, rigid pixel islands,” Apple Insider reports. The entire patent application contains few examples of stretchable displays.

The patent begins by outlining Apple’s vision for the technology to be used in a wide range of devices. Some pages detail the importance of having “a stretchable part with hermetically sealed, rigid pixel islands.” However, the paper provides little insight into the potential applications of stretchable displays.

That said, it does offer some suggestions on how Apple intends to expand the patent to cover every type of device. It essentially discusses the importance of stretchable displays for laptops, computers, and mobile phones.

Stretchable displays: Improving wearables and future devices

The patent also mentions smaller devices like wristwatches, pendants, headphones, earphones, and other wearables. Many experts believe that stretchable displays could prove even more practical than foldable ones. This could mean an iPhone with a foldable inner screen and a stretchable outer screen.

Last year, Apple revealed it wanted to produce an Apple Watch with a screen that wraps around the wrist. Stretchable displays could be the solution to this challenge, potentially offering consumers greater benefits and convenience.

There is only one patent application for now. Of course, not all patents become a reality, especially for technology companies like Apple that file numerous patents each year.

It’s worth noting that Apple makes headlines, and often for the right reasons — innovation. Just this week, news broke that the iPhone 16 may feature a replaceable battery to comply with European Union regulations.

This legislation would require Apple to develop technology that makes iPhone batteries easily replaceable. The goal is to make the process simple and user-friendly, creating technology that everyone will appreciate and desire.