A second patent has been granted to Apple regarding the additions the company intends to incorporate in its originally planned foldable device.
The second patent is focused on a flexible hinge and the use of a fabric for its housing, Patently Apple, an Apple-centric blog focused on the company's latest Intellectual Property (IP) developments, reported on Tuesday.
According to the report, the description of the second patent claim reads: "An electronic device, comprising a 'flexible hinge' coupled between the first and second housing portions wherein the flexible portion of the housing comprises fabric."
The iPhone-maker received its first patent to develop a foldable smartphone from the US Patent and Trademark office in November 2016 that described a display that could be opened and closed like a book, media had reported.
As smartphones continue to introduce larger and larger phablet sizes, there will come a point where introducing a foldable smartphone will make sense, especially with mobile TV on 5G networks on the way, the report added.
Earlier in September, South Korea-based electronics major Samsung released a teaser of a phone with bendable and foldable display technology that would offer the functionality of a tablet complete with multi-tasking and a big screen.
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Samsung's much awaited foldable device could debut in November at Samsung's Developer Conference.
Chinese electronics giant Huawei could also be getting ready to be the first to launch such a device in November.
--IANS
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