Apple’s long-rumoured foldable iPhone could finally become a reality if a recently awarded patent is any indication. This patent hints at a revolutionary self-healing screen.

  • db2@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    Look guys, Apple is innovating something that already exists again.

    • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      I know foldables have been in the market for a few years now, but do any have self healing screens?

        • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          advertising propaganda

          Well that’s just redundant! I see Samsung holds this patent, I’m just wondering if they have this on any of their fold line of products.

            • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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              6 months ago

              Thanks. I’m not exactly shocked to see this kind sensationalism in tech reporting, dumb.

              • Footnote2669@lemmy.zip
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                6 months ago

                I’ve read through the above Samsung patent and the Apples one. The one main difference I found was that Apple is talking about a heating layer between the other layer in the display that can initiate the selfhealing process (which could be initiated by the user, on schedule, or while charging the battery). I haven’t see a mention of such thing in the Samsung patent. Plus, Apples patent doesn’t seem to go into detail regarding the materials of the layer, only that it can be made out of „suitable materials”.

        • Footnote2669@lemmy.zip
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          6 months ago

          Can they actually do „nothing new”? We’re talking about a patent here that they were granted. Aren’t patents by definition about something new?

          • db2@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            Ideally. I literally just linked prior art though, their patent is invalid.

      • Footnote2669@lemmy.zip
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        6 months ago

        Apparently Samsung Folds have some kind of healing (according to Reddit posts). But remember… Apple bad

        • Sheridan@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          My partner has been using a Samsung Fold for two years, the one that folds open into a small tablet. It looked nice at first but it hasn’t held up well. There’s this film on the screen that you’re not supposed to remove and it’s deteriorating fast. There are these little patches on the screen that look sort of like bubbles. Plus even from the start you could see the crease in the middle of the screen.

          • big_slap@lemmy.world
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            6 months ago

            that was my case as well with the fold 2. I upgraded to the fold 5 since launch last year and can say the toughness on the main screen between the fold 2 and 5 is night and day. not a single scratch or bubble anywhere on the folding screen, held up very well.

            I have a friend with the fold 3, and the main screen is basically destroyed, much like your partner.

            it has to do with the way they are folded. the fold 5 uses a “tear drop” fold similar to the Motorola phones.

            Pic for reference:

            • Shellbeach@lemmy.world
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              6 months ago

              The protective plastic seems to still be on this one. I used my z flip for 1 year before realizing that the crease was actually the plastic and not the screen itself.

              • big_slap@lemmy.world
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                6 months ago

                yup! there’s no need for me to pull this off yet, has held up surprisingly well. I had to take my screen protector off like 2 months into me owning the fold 2 lol

          • FiveMacs@lemmy.ca
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            6 months ago

            It was the crease I always knew was going to happen. Tech is cool but terrible in practice. Too short of a lifespan. Buddy bought one Amy time he happily showed me his phone in hopes of swaying me to it, that’s all I couod see was the crease. 1.5 years later, back to normal phone…

          • Not_mikey@slrpnk.net
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            6 months ago

            You can get the film replaced, for free the first time, then like $20 after. Mine basically came all the way off on the fold for my z flip, but then I went to a galaxy store and they replaced it and it’s fine now.

        • tahoe@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          It wasn’t a flexible screen, it was just bent. Also it was the back that was self healing iirc, not the display

        • paraphrand@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          How does it heal, does it still work 10+ years later? How many major OS updates did it get?

      • polygon6121@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        I don’t know. I know some older midrange phones tried it out. I wonder if the main benefit is to heal the crease from the screen being unfolded or if it is to protection the softer screen surface. I hope it solves the former issue.

      • Fredselfish@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        My wife as one and no it does not. Does leave a crease just where it folds. Also it’s already began to glitch. Just saying we won’t be buying another one.

      • Aux@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        Loads of premium dumb phones had self healing displays back in the days. It’s just a property of some plastics. But once we moved to glass screens, this feature got lost. The problem with plastic screens is that they’re sticky compared to glass screens and that’s not a good feeling when using a capacitive touch screen.

    • Hiko0@feddit.de
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      6 months ago

      I remember trying Windows XP tablets at CeBIT 2004. Apple released their first Tablet in 2010. There‘s releasing something that does a job and there‘s releasing something that does the job. What I‘ve seen from Android foldables was underwhelming, Apple could do something differently, which still fits into the category but has improved aspects not only Apple considers necessary to release such a device.

        • NoisyFlake@lemm.ee
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          6 months ago

          That’s not my experience. I’ve got a 13 mini for 2 years now and I can go one day easily. I charge every night anyway, so it’s more than enough for me. On low power mode, it’s probably more like 2 days.

    • Solivine@sopuli.xyz
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      6 months ago

      No, being able to change size is practical and convenient, there’s a reason people buy them despite the technology being so new

        • ben@lemmy.zip
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          6 months ago

          I think the idea is that the tech will improve. The flaws aren’t features, they’re problems to work out.

            • priapus@sh.itjust.works
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              6 months ago

              The same problem, but is has dramatically improved. Comparing the visibility and feel of the ridge on foldable phones from even two years ago to today is night and day. My roommate has the newest Samsung Flip and even coming directly from my phone its hardly noticeable.

        • kevincox@lemmy.ml
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          6 months ago

          So then don’t buy a folding phone until they make that better.

          No one is saying that everyone should having a folding phone. But it seems obvious that the ability to have a large screen that fits in your pocket is a great feature that many people value. There are downsides, but for some people the upsides outweigh them. For other people (like you) they don’t and you can continue to get a non-folding phone.

        • Chee_Koala@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Yeah but folding screens though. I was never that interested, but then I held one with my own eyes and I instant got the merit if it. I don’t need one, but if I had Beyonce money I would for sure want one.

    • jwiggler@sh.itjust.works
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      6 months ago

      I kinda like the idea of a phone that is usually small, but I can make big by unfolding it if I want to. But I do agree that the fewer moving parts, the sturdier and more BIFL. It’s just that BIFL is not really attainable anyways in the current state of the phone market due to software support obsoletion.

      I’d like to see a small eink phone or the tiny matchbook from Her.

    • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
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      6 months ago

      I wouldn’t mind a fold like the S4 Fold (which never made production) (or whatever it wa about 2015).

      I’d rather it be two phones joined in the middle like that with a minimal/no bezel there, rather than a folding screen.

    • Bogasse@lemmy.ml
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      6 months ago

      I think except for the camera phones have stopped being pragmatic for quite a while.

    • Bogasse@lemmy.ml
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      6 months ago

      I think except for the camera phones have stopped being pragmatic for quite a while.

        • Bogasse@lemmy.ml
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          6 months ago

          You mean that having N+1 sensors every other year is redundant. My phone is 4 years old and had already a quite bad camera at that time so I wouldn’t know.

          Seeing photos from other people it’s obvious how good phones have become (even if there might be some overengineering), on the other hand my phone also had a bad CPU / RAM / Battery / Screen for the time and people who have phones with more computing power than my laptop do the exact same things as I do.

  • Angel Mountain@feddit.nl
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    6 months ago

    I still don’t understand why I should care for a foldable touchscreen phone. Nor for apple products.

    • BOMBS@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      The two things that appeal to me about the folding phone are (1) protecting the screen from scratches, especially in my pocket or backpack and (2) that when folded, I wont accidentally touch the screen in a way that will register as a click or swipe. The last one in particular is super annoying to me. However, it doesn’t seem like the technology is ready for this yet since it sounds like the folding mechanism breaks easily. And ofc, I never buy anything Apple.

      • Bogasse@lemmy.ml
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        6 months ago

        My FP3 hanged around in my pocket unprotected for 4 years and still has no scratch on its screen. I feel like the industry learned how to make basically indestructible glass for a while (except if you casually put diamonds in the same pocket).

      • yeehaw@lemmy.ca
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        6 months ago

        If years of using a case has taught me, once you get some sand or something in it, it will practically scratch itself.

    • mean_bean279@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Blink twice if Apple is forcing you to read this article. Otherwise you could just keep scrolling if you don’t care that much?

    • whoreticulture@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      6 months ago

      I have one, it’s nice because it actually fits in my pocket and has a stable center of gravity. Every other phone I’ve had would regularly fall out of my pockets, and that’s how they would become broken or lost. I bought mine used last year, and it’s still in great condition.

  • brillotti@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    I used a fold 3 since release, and two years in something broke in the hinge and it can no longer opens at 180°. Now the maximum angle is ~175° and it feels awkward to use, and doesn’t sit right on a table.

    Hopefully Apple will figure out the hinge and screen tech by the time their foldy phone comes out.