Apple Potentially Working On A Folding iPhone Based Off New Patent

Apple is gearing up for a new year of fresh tech, with recent reports of a smaller, more affordable iPhone in the works arriving just a few weeks ago. Now, it's looking like the house that Steve Jobs built is finally looking to get into the innovative folding phone market if these latest unearthed patents are accurate. 

AppleInsider reported on the patent (seen above), which was first published by the US Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday (February 4) under the title "Electronic devices with flexible displays and hinges." As the description notes, this new device would incorporate "a flexible display that overlaps an axis," which could actually fold without a crease and might even use glass instead of plastic. What sets this one apart from, say, the Samsung Galaxy is a new hinge mechanism that makes the middle bend outwards as it folds over. As AppleInsider states, the "softer bend" inside the hinge allows for the use of less flexible glass panels and less pressure at the point of the curve.

Check out official photos of the folding iPhone concept over at AppleInsider, where you can also find more details from the official patent. Let us know if you think this will be the move that makes #TeamiPhone come out on top in the phone wars down in the comments.