A foldable device could be on the horizon for Apple Inc. after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Thursday published a patent application from the tech giant.

This isn’t the first report of a possible foldable iPhone. It emerged last month that Apple was reportedly working with LG Corp. on a foldable device. LG Display has reportedly created a “task force” to develop the foldable organic light-emitting diode, or OLED screen, while LG Innotek has a team dedicated to the development of a “rigid flexible printed circuit board.”

It’s no surprise that Apple isn’t going with its current display supplier — Samsung Display — considering that Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. is working on its own foldable device. Samsung’s ambitions into this niche market are, however, closer to reality.

The company announced earlier this year that the smartphone codenamed Galaxy X would be unveiled next year. Whether it will coincide with a cameo appearance from the upcoming Galaxy S9 and S9+ at the Consumer Electronics Show in January is unknown at this stage.

On the other hand, Apple’s foldable iPhone will reportedly won’t go into production until 2020. Meanwhile, other companies, including Oppo Electronics Corp. and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., are also reportedly working on foldable smartphones and ZTE Corp. has already entered the market with the launch of its Axon M.  

Apple added fuel to the reports last month when a patent filing for a foldable device was discovered, but the latest application has people wondering if a foldable iPhone may actually be a reality in the future.

The latest patent describes “Electronic Devices With Flexible Displays,” a device that could be “opened and closed like a book.” Although last month’s report mentioned a foldable OLED display, today’s patent covers all bases, referencing an OLED, liquid-crystal display and a microLED.  

The OLED display of the recently launched iPhone X (pictured) is actually flexible, despite its looking flat. This flexible display allows the iPhone X achieve its near-bezel-free look. But Apple’s patent takes this flexibility further and describes a device that could be folded and unfolded when in use.

The patent describes a device with an all-screen design that would be bendable around a central flexible display area. The display areas could be bent toward or away from each other and used as a traditional iPhone when folded or a small iPadlike display when opened flat.

With a reported launch date still a few years out, a microLED display could be a reality for the foldable iPhone. A microLED display offers even greater benefits than an OLED display and includes greater brightness, color saturation and power efficiency.

Apple has been exploring microLED technology for some time, having acquired LuxVue Technology, a stealth company specializing in the field, in 2014. Moreover, a report that emerged this week suggests Apple is working with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. to develop microLED displays.

However, considering Apple files many patents that never go into production, these patents are no indication that a foldable iPhone will ever launch.

Image: William Hook; Flickr