Apple is preparing to become the latest major smart-phone manufacturer to develop a folding phone, after it filed a patent for new folding technology.
Following an eventful week at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in which both Samsung and Huawei revealed their upcoming Galaxy Fold and Mate X folding devices, Apple has filed a patent application which largely confirms that they are working on a similar project.
READ MORE: Samsung and Huawei settle multi-billion-dollar intellectual property battle
As reported by Patently Apple, the tech retailer filed a patent application for an internal heating system for the hinge of a folding phone, aiming to prevent the foldable screen from cracking if its when cold.
Its application says a portion of the phones display which overlaps the point at which it folds “may be selectively heated” in order to allow it to bend “without damage when the display is cold”.
This would be achieved either via a “heating element or other heating structure” or by “illuminating pixels” around the fold.
It goes on to mention a mechanism which would prevent the phone from being folded when the display is below a predetermined temperature to prevent possible damage.
Click here to sign up to Charged‘s free daily email newsletter