(AFP): Tech giant Apple is reportedly working on a foldable iPhone with a ‘self-healing’ screen that that may fix the normal wear and tear by itself, including scratches and dents, according to a patent application.
According to details, the patent application named “Electronic Devices With Flexible Display Cover Layers” suggests methods for minimizing damage and doing something when the damage occurs. It hints at mixing rigid and flexible areas for a display and utilizing “self-healing.
“An electronic device may have a hinge that allows the device to be flexed about a bend axis. A display may span the bend axis. To facilitate bending about the bend axis without damage, the display may include a display cover layer with a flexible portion,” says Apple’s patent application.
“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),” the patent reads.
“Alternatively, the self-healing may be initiated or expedited by externally applied heat, light, electric current, or another type of external stimulus,” it added.
The proposed technology would use elastomer, a pliant material that returns to its original form when heated. It would be used in phones, laptops, tablets, watches, and other devices.
However, the self-healing display feature won’t be included in the first generation of foldable iPhones given that the company has already placed a large order with Samsung Display for providing samples for at least one year.
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