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Another game-changing feature that could be coming to Apple’s iPhone

Updated Dec 19th, 2018 9:13PM EST
iPhone Features

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Will the iPhone of the future even remotely resemble the iPhone we know today? In a recent Dollars and Sense column, I discussed an exciting new technology that may be introduced in Apple’s iPhone lineup at some point. It would be nothing short of an absolute game-changer, and it could happen sooner than you think.

But there’s a whole lot going on behind closed doors in Cupertino right now, and on Tuesday morning we’ve been given a glimpse of yet another futuristic technology Apple is toying with for possible inclusion in its iPhones of the future.

UP NEXT: Dollars and Sense: Galaxy S7 and LG G5 look great, but Apple will still make all the money

Apple’s iPhone 12 won’t just charge wirelessly while it’s sitting in your pocket, it’ll also bend and twist while you use it.

OK, so neither of those features are sure things, but a new patent application discovered by Patently Apple on Tuesday morning shows that Apple is working on some pretty crazy flexible device technology in its R&D labs.

At the Consumer Electronics Show back in January, LG Display showed off a large screen that wasn’t just flexible, it was rollable. Technology like this could potentially lead to all sorts of new form factors for devices, but Apple may be planning to take things a step further. By combining flexible OLED displays with flexible device housings and bendable internal components, Apple is toying with the idea of an iPhone that actually changes shape as you use it.

Also noted in the patent application are the presence of flex sensors that would register movements and trigger software responses based on those movements. A flexible device wouldn’t solely be about interactions, however — it would also potentially be far more durable and less prone to damage when dropped.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.