One of Apple’s patents is about a technology that could potentially be used by company in making an entry into the foldable device industry. However, this technology seems to be more applicable to a foldable tablet than a smartphone device. If released, Apple’s foldable device could rival Lenovo’s hybrid laptop.

Apple recently filed a patent for a technology that would come in handy for the foldable part of an electronic display, according to Patently Apple. Apple’s patent introduces a way to prevent the foldable portion of a device from cracking over time.

Screen cracks have been a problem for the Samsung Galaxy Fold that broke for many reviewers who received the initial units. Samsung and its rival Huawei have delayed their foldable device releases after all the fiasco that happened. But now Apple may have the solution for the issue Samsung’s devices faced.

While the new technology is designed for foldable devices, Apple’s idea for this foldable device technology isn’t for smartphones but for tablet-sized devices. Potentially, Apple’s entry to the foldable device industry could be a foldable iPad Pro that won’t compete with Samsung and Huawei but with Lenovo, instead.

Lenovo’s current foldable device technology is a cross between a laptop and a tablet. The Lenovo "hybrid" device has a foldable screen that allows it to function like a laptop and a tablet. Lenovo’s device looks like a larger tablet that can be folded in the middle to mimic a laptop configuration.

Apple has not announced any details about the development of its foldable devices. At the Worldwide Developer’s Conference 2019, Apple didn't reveal much about its upcoming devices and none of them were about a foldable tablet. Most of the major reveals were about the software upgrades for current devices and information about upcoming services.

The company has also been silently releasing new iterations of its devices without fanfare. If Apple were to release a foldable device soon, it may just come out without any events to celebrate its release. But since the device still only exists in patents, fans can only wait for Apple to announce its interest in this project, or just wait for the company to showcase it once it is done.

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Pictured: Apple CEO Tim Cook presents new products, including new Macbook laptops, during a special event at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Howard Gilman Opera House October 30, 2018, in New York. AFP/Getty Images/Timothy A. Clary
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