Apple patented a foldable display.
Phone makers have been working on the ‘next big thing’ in mobile for years, but so far we’ve seen only minor software improvements and cosmetic design changes. The concept of the foldable devices is not so new, but if not counting patent applications and prototypes, we are yet to see a final product. While a phone launched by ZTE appears to offer something like a foldable screen, it’s in fact a two-display device with a hinge, and not a device with one screen that bends along.
Apple is also exploring the area of foldable displays, according to patent from 2016. It represents a flexible screen that allows bending along when the device is folded.
LG and Apple may be partners in this adventure, according to reports from earlier this year. The patent itself mentions nothing about a foldable iPhone, but the technology could be used for future Apple product with LCD, OLED or micro-LED displays.
The possible foldable iPhone may be completely bezel-less, an improvement to the current design of the iPhone X. However, the market is not really matured for such a device right now. Apple is rumored to launch a foldable iPhone not before 2019 at the earliest. Keep also in mind that not every single patent is materialized into a real product.
Source: Patently Apple