Apple could be working on stretchable displays for its devices, as per a new patent

A foldable iPhone could benefit

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Applehas long been rumored to be working on afoldable iPhone, but a new patent suggests there might be screens that stretch as well as screens that bend in development for numerous upcoming Apple products.

As spotted byAppleInsider,the patentis simply titled “Stretchable Display”, and goes on to describe a screen that can wrap around different surfaces and shapes, while still operating like a standardOLEDdisplay.

While the patent doesn’t specifically mention any devices in the Apple portfolio, it could potentially be used for a number of them. Imaginea HomePod with a displaythat curves around the top of the speaker, for example.

The patent is notable for the number of inventors attached: 55 rather than the usual 10 or so. However, as ever with patents, this is only an indication of what a company is spending time researching – there’s no guarantee we’ll ever see this tech in an actual product.

How this could be used

We’ve already mentioned how a future HomePod could have a display that stretches and wraps around the device, and such a display could also find a use in a foldable iPhone – enabling the phone to have a wraparound screen on the outside,as has been rumored.

Then there’s theApple Watch. TheApple Watch 10is supposedly bringingsome design tweakswith it, but a future model could have a screen that wraps all around the wrist (Apple has actuallyfiled patents hinting at thisin the past).

The patent mentions phones and watches, but also laptops, smart glasses, virtual reality headsets, and kiosk and car displays. This is clearly a technology that could find a place in many Apple products, if development on it continues.

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That development will most likely take several years, so we’re not going to see it appear in theiPhone 16. However, don’t be surprised if future Apple devices, likean all-screen MacBook, arrive with displays that can stretch as well as fold.

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Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you’ll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.

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