There has
been load of news about Apple and its competitors developing foldable
smart phone.
This week, Apple acquired a new patent for a mobile device with a
flexible screen that describes various possible pivot mechanisms, which
may be the trickiest part of a foldable phone.
Prototypes of flexible displays have been around since 2013, and many
brands seem interested to put them into production.
iphone price in pakistan
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According to reports, Samsung may be the first company to launch
foldable mobile phone, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Oppo will follow.
Apple’s latest patent is simply referred to as a “flexible display
device” numbered 10,104,787.
“The flexible display can be mounted on the housing part that overlaps
the hinge. The flexible display may bend when the housing parts of the
device rotate relative to each other”, description of the patent
document reads.
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As shown above, the iPhone engineer is considering all the
possibilities. The pivot design may include a hinge based on a three-bar
linkage, a hinge based on a four-bar linkage, a hinge with a slotted
member, a hinge formed of a flexible support structure, and a hinge
based on a flexible housing structure.
Apple does not intend to launch a foldable iPhone in the short term. It
is rumored that the earliest time for Apple to launch such a device is
2020 or even later.
Currently, there is no indication that Apple will launch a foldable
iPhone in 2019.
Apple’s launch timing will be very much related to the popularity of
foldable Android phones. If Apple’s competitors succeed, Apple may have
to act quickly to join the competition and will immediately launch
foldable smart phones.
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