Press reports revealed that Apple had obtained a new patent in order to produce a foldable iPhone whose design had long been rumored, but no announced plans by the company to manufacture such a product yet.
The new iPhone, once produced, would compete with Samsung's foldable phones, possibly outperforming them owing to problems caused by damage to the bent area of the screen.
• According to the patent highlighted by the British Daily Mail, side buttons are placed on the new Apple phone to control volume, screen brightness, camera and other options.
• The patent indicates that the phone will be opened vertically to provide a more extended screen, compared to other designs that open horizontally to form what looks like a tablet.
• To avoid the problems experienced by Samsung's foldable phones, according to the patent Apple uses more flexible materials in the line on which the phone folds.
• Apple's patent comes at the same time as Samsung is criticized for its Galaxy Z Fold 3 phone, where its users face folding site problems affecting screen efficiency.