New Apple product could have ‘self-healing properties’ for screen breaks

A patent application filed by Apple Inc. suggests the tech company is developing a product, possibly a phone, that could automatically heal any scratches or breaks in its screen.

The patent seeks to establish a legal claim to a design in which a device’s “display cover layer” includes “a layer with self-healing properties.”

“The layer of self-healing material may be formed across the entire display cover layer or may be formed only in the flexible region of the display cover layer,” the patent states.

The “flexible region” of the device would be one in which “a hinge … allows the device to be flexed about a bend axis,” suggesting the tech company is possibly developing a folding smartphone.

The patent was filed in January and published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office earlier this week.