As other leading smartphone makers are perfecting devices with vertically or horizontally folding screens, recently published patent information suggests Cupertino might take a different route. A patent for “electronic devices with rollable displays” filed last October and published on July 13 references a device with a display that could be moved between an unrolled state where it is planar and a rolled state for storage.
Filing a patent means little to nothing for a company like Apple regarding future consumer products. All it likely means is that a patent engineer managed to throw something together outside existing prior art that they could file. Maybe they will do something with it, maybe they won’t. If they do, they will have a patent portfolio that will hopefully give them some legal protection from patent trolls and competitors that will attempt to block them.
I can’t visualize how this would be anything other than really inconvenient
You don’t already want the latest iTube?
iFlyswatter*
*battery may explode on impact
NEW for 2025! The Apple Scroll hath been unveiled to succor the clamoring of the faithful for devices which fold not, but rather ROLL into a beautiful scroll (1), suitable for the most discerning of cylinder enthusiasts! Only $1700 (2)!
(1) Placing Apple Scroll in any bodily orifice will void the warranty, except in the EU, where Apple is legally prevented from kink-shaming due to the 2024 Schrems IV: A New Hope (For Sexy Times) Ruling.
(2) Apple Quill $299 (required (3) to use Apple Scroll).
(3) Apple Tricorn Cap Quill Holder $499 (4): Impress your followers on Threads by being one of the first to wear the official Apple Tricorn Cap Quill Holder to influence your followers to purchase their very own Apple Tricorn Cap Quill Holder for only $499!
(4) The Apple Tricorn Cap Quill Holder requires an Apple Quill to disable the “Ring of Fire” theft-prevention (5) device built into the brim of the Apple Tricorn Cap Quill Holder.
(5) The theft is from Apple revenue if you do not purchase the Apple Quill.
Hear ye, hear ye, scrolls may be back
*for those who care nothing about usablilty and just want something weird and expensive. Like seriously, what benefit would this offer to the consumer?
I can imagine some use cases but they would be in addition to your phone not a replacement. Like a smart band sized device that can be pulled out into a usable display. But afaik were years away from that being possible. A device like that would be good for when you’re exercising or whatever, assuming it could be made moisture resistant at least.
I just want a MacBook Wheel, man.
Context for those who don’t know: Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard
Old TheOnion videos are just so good
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What In the hell do we need rollable phones for? So you can roll it up like Newspaper and shove it in your pocket??
For frack’s sake… All I want is a phone with a battery that lasts for over a day. I’d also like my headphone jack back, but really, I just want a mega-battery.
Considering the new EU regulation requiring removable batteries, depending on how it’s done by companies I’m thinking therea a decent chance you could get an extra large battery that can connect to it, then have a custom backing to close it. BRING THE DAYS OF THE BRICK BACK
Are they gonna make them like those rollable flip-bracelet things like what kids have? So you just wear your phone as your wrist watch when you’re not using it, then unroll it when you want to talk on the phone or read your screen? Or will we carry them around like scrolls and parchment and unfurl our phones when we want to do anything? We’ll look like magicians, it might actually be kind of sweet.
i have to imagine this is less for an “iScroll” of some kind and more for wearable tech.
LG made a rollable one and it looks great, thinner than a folding one and maybe no creases.
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How am I going to break the screen if it can bend like that?
May I suggest a hammer?
Waiting for the Rubik’s cube phone.
Roll? Im gonna patent a crumpled phone, or an oragami phone… zigzag accordion phone?
Guys I think there’s prior art that one time my Uber ran over my phone
Let’s advance directly to holographic display.
Can’t wait for my “Earth Final Conflict” phone!
