The first Apple foldable could resemble the Samsung Galaxy Fold
A simple single crease
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The foldable phone train is lost on the tracks - after theSamsung Galaxy Fold’sdurability problemcaused itsrepeated release delays, and theHuawei Mate X’s future is now as up in the air asHuawei’s itself, we have no clue when folding devices will truly arrive at the station - but it seemsApplecould be joining the race.
New patents granted to Apple, discovered byPatently Apple, show another foldable device design the tech company is considering, but it’s not exactly a radical redesign of folding phones.
The device shown in the patent folds over one crease, with the screen inside when shut - in this regard it looks rather similar to theSamsungGalaxy Fold, which had the same design.
The main difference is a three-tier folded system shown in the patent - while it’s a little unclear what this refers to, it resembles the wayXiaomi’s foldable folds in on itself in three, so the sketch in Apple’s patent could indicate a different device that would fold as such, or simply a clasp system to keep the device shut.
It’s worth pointing out that there’s no indication what type of device the patent shows - whileprevious Apple foldable patentsshowed devices that were almost definitely a kind of iPhone, this patent could well be for anew iPad Pro, as their large sizes would benefit from additional portability.
A device being patented doesn’t mean it’s definitely going to be made, as companies usually patent many different similar systems as they trial them, so don’t hold your breath for a Samsung Galaxy Fold-style iPad Pro, or any other Apple foldable for that matter, as we don’t expect to see them until 2020 or 2021.
Instead, Apple is gearing up to release thenew iPhone 11series this year, andit’s possible (but unlikely) a 5G phone will be among them, so stay tuned to TechRadar for all the latest news on Apple, foldable phones, 5G and more.
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Tom Bedford was deputy phones editor on TechRadar until late 2022, having worked his way up from staff writer. Though he specialized in phones and tablets, he also took on other tech like electric scooters, smartwatches, fitness, mobile gaming and more. He is based in London, UK and now works for the entertainment site What To Watch.
He graduated in American Literature and Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia. Prior to working on TechRadar, he freelanced in tech, gaming and entertainment, and also spent many years working as a mixologist.
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