Tag Archives: patents

Apple Secures Patents for Future Foldable iPhone and iPad

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Apple’s latest patent reveals a new hinge mechanism for foldable devices, marking what should be a big improvement in durability and user experience. By strategically positioning the rotational axes above the hinge, Apple effectively minimizes screen stress during folding. This smart design choice will combat premature wear—a longstanding challenge in foldable devices—but also extend the device’s operational lifespan. The inclusion of synchronization gear plates ensures that both halves of the hinge move in perfect harmony, eliminating the risk of uneven folding that can damage the screen and compromise the device’s stability.

Designer: Apple

Image credit: USPTO

Additionally, Apple has innovated by introducing asymmetric friction clips within the hinge mechanism. These clips adjust the resistance based on whether the device is being opened or closed, increasing resistance when unfolding to prevent abrupt opening and decreasing it when folding to facilitate a smooth closure. This feature significantly enhances the tactile feedback during use, offering a seamless interaction that contributes to the overall mechanical integrity and user satisfaction.

Image credit: patentlyapple.com

Looking ahead to the potential mass production of a hybrid foldable iPad-MacBook in 2027, as highlighted by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, it’s evident that these hinge innovations could play a crucial role. The synchronization gear plates and asymmetric friction clips are likely key features that enhance the durability and usability of this new device. This technology is expected to give Apple a competitive edge in the foldable device market, which I also imagine improves daily user interactions by making the device more reliable and easier to handle.

Image credit: patentlyapple.com

In comparing Apple’s hinge technology with competitors like Honor and Xiaomi, distinct differences emerge. Honor’s “Falcon Hinge,” used in their Magic series, offers robust support for multiple folding angles and aims for a sleek, gapless design that protects the screen while enhancing the device’s aesthetic appeal. Xiaomi, on the other hand, employs a “dual-hinge” design in devices like the Mi Mix Fold, which allows for complex folding actions such as inward and outward folds, providing users with exceptional flexibility. Both companies focus on structural integrity and adaptability but approach the hinge design from different angles, with Xiaomi also emphasizing precision manufacturing to maintain a slim profile without sacrificing durability.

Image Credit: Honor Magic v2 hinge

Apple’s approach, however, integrates advanced stress management techniques and user-centric features more assertively. Positioning the rotational axes above the hinge significantly reduces direct strain on the screen, enhancing the device’s longevity. Furthermore, the use of asymmetric friction clips provides nuanced control over the device’s folding mechanics, likely delivering a superior tactile experience when opening and closing the device compared to the more conventional mechanisms used by Honor and Xiaomi.

Image Credit: Xiaomi Mix Fold 3

Overall, Apple’s hinge technology showcases a minimalist and functional design in hopes of setting new standards for durability and user experience in the foldable device industry. This progressive approach highlights Apple’s dedication to innovation. It showcases their potential to shape future technology trends, possibly revolutionizing the design and usage of foldable devices across the industry and promoting their widespread adoption by consumers.

The next big Apple event, “Let Loose,” is scheduled for May 7th. This event is expected to focus on a new OLED iPad Pro, rather than showcasing any new foldable technology. However, Apple has additional events planned for the summer, including WWDC 2024 and possibly an iPhone event in September. It seems that we’ll still have to wait a while before seeing a foldable iPhone or other folding devices from Apple, even as the company is securing crucial patents in this area.

The post Apple Secures Patents for Future Foldable iPhone and iPad first appeared on Yanko Design.

Touchscreen iMac like the Microsoft Surface Studio hinted by Apple patent

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Apple products have always been hailed by designers, and its computers have long been the tool of choice for many digital content creators, especially graphic artists. None of those computers, however, have ever sported a touchscreen, even one that supports the Apple Pencil, an irony that isn’t lost on many digital artists. This means they have to settle for external drawing tools or, for some more daring users, mods that combine MacBook internal with a drawing tablet. A Mac that can instantly be used as a digital canvas is definitely going to be an artist’s dream, and based on a patent that Apple has filed, that dream could still become a reality, and it already has the perfect design for that.

Designer: Apple

Apple M3 iMac

Apple might have plenty of reasons not to put touch screens on iMacs and MacBooks, but those reasons are starting to drop one by one. It might not want to muddle the lines that separate its Macs and iPads, for example, but you can already run touch-based iOS apps on Macs for years now. And it’s not like it’s lacking the technology to make it all possible, as proven by the highly successful iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.

A patent unearthed by Patently Apple reveals that the company has indeed, been toying around with that idea, though it’s not exactly surprising given how many ideas tech companies patent all the time. Admittedly, the patent’s focus is less on the touch screen itself but more on the stand and hinge mechanism that would let you tilt and even pull the whole iMac down to the desk’s surface, making it more comfortable for artists to draw on. It’s an instant display tablet without having to buy an expensive Wacom or switch to a different technology from the one you might already be familiar with.

As weird as that idea might sound, it has actually already been done before and with surprising success. The Microsoft Surface Studio pictured at the top is one of the company’s unexpected hardware champions, quickly endearing itself to content creators. It is almost exactly what Apple’s patent describes, an all-in-one computer with a stand and hinge that lets you tilt and turn it whichever way you need to, and it comes with a touch screen, too!

Microsoft Surface Studio

It’s not hard to imagine how such a feature could be a game changer for artists on Macs, making their workflows more seamless. Of course, it’s far too premature to get excited over this patent, because tech companies also have a tendency not to implement even a fraction of the patents they hold. And given Microsoft already has an implementation of this design, it might still come down to a legal battle if Apple does decide to push through with a touchscreen iMac since it filed the patent years before the Surface Studio came out.

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Wider, more ergonomic Samsung foldable phone might be in the works

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Samsung might be one of the pioneers of the whole foldable phone craze, but the disadvantage of being the first is that you risk getting things wrong the first time around. In contrast, hindsight is 20/20, as they say, and many of its competitors have used that advantage to catch up and even overtake Samsung at its own game. Of course, the tech giant isn’t content to just sit around while others outrun it, and it has been catching up with “innovations” like a hinge that lets the phone fold flat. Now it seems that Samsung will be catching up in another aspect, with a Galaxy Z Fold that’s a little bit wider when folded and, therefore, easier to use as a regular phone.

Designer: Samsung (via Pigtou and David Kowalski/xleaks7)

To be fair, Samsung was sailing on uncharted waters, so it was bound to miss a few marks. For its inaugural foldable phone, Samsung aimed for a tablet that was like a mini iPad mini or, closer to home, a smaller Galaxy Tab A, which meant it adopted a vertical or portrait format when unfolded. That meant it would have an extremely narrow phone when folded, which was heavily criticized for being awkward to hold and nearly unusable as a regular “candy bar” smartphone.

In contrast, foldable phones like the OPPO Find N and the Google Pixel Fold aimed for a more “traditional” horizontal or landscape tablet design, which had a few direct benefits in terms of consuming content like videos or even books. More importantly, however, it also meant that the folded form of the phone more closely resembles regular smartphones with a wider and sometimes shorter design. In over five generations, Samsung has never changed its design on that front, but that might not be the case with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or later models.

OPPO Find N3

OPPO Find N2

Vivo X Fold 2

Google Pixel Fold

A recent patent filed by Samsung reveals a foldable design that is significantly different from its status quo in more ways than one. First, it is noticeably wider when folded, giving it a shape that will feel more natural to use compared to the recent crop of Galaxy Z Fold models. Additionally, it’s also significantly thinner, both folded and opened, which would go a long way in increasing the usability of an otherwise heavy and bulky device. In other words, it would be the foldable that Samsung should have launched in the first place if it had the benefit of hindsight five years ago.

Of course, a patent doesn’t immediately mean it will be implemented, whether in the Galaxy Z Fold 6 or future incarnations. It is at least proof that Samsung is aware of the shortcomings of its current design and is taking steps to correct its course. It would definitely be grand if it could launch such a sleek foldable this year, but such a thin design would also go against calls for bigger batteries or a built-in S Pen. For now, other brands still have an advantage over Samsung in some aspects, including and especially the price of such a premium piece of technology.

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