Apple trying to bring back the bygone days of foldable phones?

Apple recently received its 2014’s patent for “flexible display devices”, and they might be trying to bring back the razor

Apple (AAPL, Tech 30) has recently been granted a patent for a “flexible display device” that could fold into half. Though, Apple does file patents for technology that is never heard of, or never see the daylight; the patents indeed provide a window to what the tech giant is thinking of the future.

Apple filed this patent for a flexible phone back in July 2014, the ‘device’ which features a touchscreen smartphone and carries the design popularized by ‘clamshell’ or ‘razor’ phones. The patent also highlights how the device’s screen features a flexible OLED display that could bend to face each other or fit back-to-back. Additionally, some hinges could accommodate different ways of folding the device too; say bending the device into thirds.

It is not very likely that we would see such phones any time soon, but a flexible screen? Well that’s not impossible. Apple has been showing interests in a “flexible screen” since quite some time now, earlier this month, Apple was granted its first patent for a foldable flip phone, one that can open and close like a notebook does. However, this patent did not talk of the screen but described how “carbon nanotubes” can bend to form the center hinge.

Though the patent for a ‘flexible screen’ was granted in 2016 itself, it was entailed with the description of a flexible components on an iPhone-like device that could withstand bending, warping or dropping.

Other recent patents in the name of Apple include a ‘360-degree screen’ that would wrap itself entirely around a phone and a ‘smart glass’ to compete with Google’s failed attempt of a ‘Glass product’.