It seems that Apple may finally be getting ready to enter the foldable phone market, as the company has even started to patent its invention of a self-healing display. According to the new patent, this new display would include a material that would make dents and scratches disappear.

There is no clue as to when Apple may release its first foldable iPhone, but new information from patently suggests that it will indeed arrive. This foldable device will include a layer of self-healing material that would come to fix imperfections on the display. This would also solve some of the problems faced by the first foldable device from Samsung.

“Displays are typically formed from rigid planar substrates. Although satisfactory in many situations, rigid displays such as these may be difficult to integrate into certain devices, such as devices with bendable housings […]

“During operation of an electronic device, the display cover layer for the electronic device may be scratched or dented. To improve the aesthetics of the electronic device, it may be desirable for the presence of scratches and dents to be minimized. To help mitigate the number of dents, scratches, or other imperfections in a display cover layer, the display cover layer may include a layer of self-healing material.

“Self-healing may occur in the layer of self-healing material without prompting (e.g., when the self-healing coating is dented, the material of the coating may fill the dent even without external intervention). Alternatively, the self-healing may be initiated or expedited by externally applied heat, light, electric current, or other type of external stimulus.

“When heat is used as a stimulus for the self-healing process, the display cover layer may include transparent conductors that form a heating layer in the display cover layer. The heating layer may be used to generate heat to stimulate self-healing. The heating layer may be used to generate heat in response to user input, according to a predetermined schedule, or when the electronic device is charging.”

This new display would also use heat to prevent damage on the display’s surface, and it would also repair the device automatically without the user having to do anything.

“To facilitate bending about the bend axis without damage when the display is cold, a portion of the display that overlaps the bend axis may be selectively heated.”

Still, we may have to wait sometime before Apple’s foldable iPhone hits the market. In the meantime, you may want to check out the new leaked prices for the upcoming iPhone 12 lineup that could arrive in a couple of weeks.

Source 9to5Mac

Via Patently Apple

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