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Apple wins patent for foldable phone with flexible display

The tech giant's patent designs envision a device with an OLED screen you could purposely bend.

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applepatentfoldableiphone2.jpg

One of Apple's proposed designs for a device with a flexible display.

 Apple/USPTO

Apple was granted a patent on Tuesday for "flexible display devices," which could someday lead to a bendable iPhone .

The proposed designs envision a foldable device -- remember flip phones ? -- with an organic light-emitting diode screen. The company filed the patent application in July 2014 with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The news was reported earlier by AppleInsider.

In June, Lenovo showed off a flexible phone prototype that you could wrap around your wrist. Around the same time, Samsung was reported to be working on two bendable models.

Next year marks the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. There's already been speculation that at least one of the new models will get an OLED display.

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.