Apple has been issued a patent for a new method of producing curved touchscreen displays that could see deployment in everything from smartphones and tablets to mice and trackpads. The patent covers a new manufacturing process that would allow Apple to produce curved touchscreen panels that are thinner and less prone to issues such as deformation.
Where have we heard Apple and curved display thrown around in the same sentence recently? Recall rumors from last month that stated Cupertino might unveil iPhones with 4.7 and 5.5-inch displays that curve along the edges. While the patent does not verify said rumors, it does add a layer of intrigue (note the rumors made no mention of touch support over the curved portions of the display glass).
To be clear: this patent for a curved touchscreen display still represents a rigid display technology. The result would be more akin to devices like the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which featured a piece of curved glass over a flat touch element, only in this case, the touch sensor would be shaped to fit the glass. We are not talking about a a flexible display, much like those recently introduced by Samsung and LG with the Galaxy Round and G Flex, respectively.
Nevertheless, the patent leaves open the possibility for a curved iPhone in the future, one that could bridge the gap between a standard flat display and the flexible touchscreens of the future.
[via Gizmodo]
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