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.

  • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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    5 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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        5 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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            5 months ago

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

            • Footnote2669@lemmy.zip
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              5 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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                  5 months ago

                  I don’t think they mention any material specifically, only „materials with selfhealing properties”. They leave it „open to interpretation” lol

      • Footnote2669@lemmy.zip
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        5 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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          5 months ago

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

    • Footnote2669@lemmy.zip
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      5 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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        5 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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          5 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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            5 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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              5 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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          5 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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          5 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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        5 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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        5 months ago

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

    • Fredselfish@lemmy.world
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      5 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.

    • polygon6121@lemmy.world
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      5 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.

    • Aux@lemmy.world
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      5 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.