The iPhone Flip could feature a new kind of flexible display that could build on the strengths of the iPhone 12 and protect the screen from any damage.

The document, discovered by Patently Apple, was originally discovered in April, but now the patent has been granted by the USPTO, giving Apple control over the concept. With such a secret weapon, it is easy to imagine one of the iPhone 13 models being a foldable phone.

Apple's patent titled "Hybrid Coverlay/Window Structure for Flexible Display Applications" shows a four-layer screen consisting of a cover layer, hard coat layer, inner surface, and transparent support layer. The hard coat layer appears to be the key, either pre-filling existing micro-cracks in the surrounding layers or acting as an outermost layer that is resistant to scratches and holes.

For additional strength, the bottom transparent layer could be made of glass or sapphire. Artificial sapphire is much harder than the usual tempered glass used in smartphones, and Apple uses it in the rear camera lens cover of its iPhone 12 series to prevent scratches on the cover from ruining phone photos.

The folds of a folded device will always be its weakest point due to regular movement as well as the increased risk of debris entering through the hinge mechanism. We've seen how badly this can go wrong with phones like Samsung's Galaxy Fold, so it's good to see Apple learning from its rivals' mistakes.

Apple debuted a new shatterproof glass called Ceramic Shield for the iPhone 12 display. While this patent, like the other applications, is not guaranteed to become a reality, the fact that one of Apple's major new advances this year was a new display material clearly indicates a focus on related technologies.

The patent mentions not only foldable displays, but also curved, flexible displays. This means that if Apple decides to curve the edges of the iPhone or create the flexible iPad we have been dreaming of, this technology could be used for those products as well.

The iPhone 13 should be available next September, or possibly later to make up for the delay of this year's iPhone 12 launch from October to November. iPhone 13 itself is not expected to be flexible, but the iPhone Flip is expected to debut soon, probably sometime in 2021 or 2022.