The Next iPhone Might Be a Flip Phone
We’re suckers for nostalgia. Give us remakes of our favorite teen shows, DJ sets curated straight from our old mix tapes and Fruit Roll-Ups until the day we die. And apparently, we aren’t the only ones suffering from a heavy dose of fond memories.
On Monday, the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published a patent filed by Apple. And it’s pretty darn big news. The patent describes a system that would basically allow a phone to be folded completely in half. TRANSLATION: Apple is remaking the flip phone into an ultra-modern device.
It’s rumored that the device could show up next year on the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. And honestly, what better way to celebrate 10 years of a device than completely reinventing the tech that that very device made obsolete?
Apparently, Apple has been exploring the idea of a foldable smartphone since 2013, so now that the system is patented, we’re more likely to see it. Samsung has also been exploring the idea of a foldable phone for a while, but we’ve yet to see a working model from either company. Although, it’s important to mention that this is just a patent and there is no guarantee we’ll actually ever see a foldable smartphone come to life.
But while we wait for our smart flip phones, we’ll be busy trying to figure out the passwords to our old AIM screen names, rummaging through drawers for our Juicy Couture sweatsuits and preparing for a high-tech revival of the early 2000s.
Will you buy Apple’s next phone? Let us know @BritandCo!
(h/t Newsweek; photo via USPTO, Apple, Getty)