Apple might secretly be developing an iPhone with a rollable screen

While there are rumors that Apple could be working on a foldable iPhone, the company has continually looked at the possibility of rollable displays for a future device – including an iPhone with a rollable screen.

According to a newly-revealed patent application (via AppleInsider), Apple is considering just that: “An electronic device may have a rollable display. The display may be moved between an unrolled state in which the display is planar and a rolled state in which a rollable portion of the display is rolled up for storage.”

The publication notes that this isn’t the first time Apple has applied for a rollable screen device. In May, it was still studying the possibility of a rollable device where people could pull its ends to make the display larger or smaller. At least since 2015, Apple has been investigating a use case for retractable displays.

Image source: Apple Inc.

In one of the possibilities for this patent, Apple writes: It’s a “cross-sectional side view of an illustrative electronic device in which an outwardly facing surface of a display has a first area that receives compressive stress when rolled while a second area receives tensile stress in accordance with an embodiment.”

That being said, it’s not possible to assume that Apple is planning an iPhone with a rollable screen for any time in the near future. Still, at least we know the company is experimenting with this possibility.

Other companies have been doing the same. Samsung and LG have already unveiled rollable panels, although their main function was for TVs; users could unroll the display to watch content, then it would retract.

If we learn more about a future iPhone with a rollable screen, we’ll make sure to let you know. In about two months, Apple will unveil the iPhone 15 series. Below, you can learn everything we know about it.