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An iPhone 7 is displayed in a store in London, Britain. Oct. 4, 2016. REUTERS/Stefan Wermuth

Apple has been granted a patent for a bendable/foldable iPhone design. The Apple patent numbered 9485862 lists a carbon nanotube based clamshell design similar to what the Nintendo 3DS looks like now.

The patent showcases in detail how the iPhone could be flexible in not just folding but even bending. The company also justifies its choice of material: “Conductive carbon nanotube paths can form signal paths that are flexible and resistant to cracking.” Other materials that have been indicated for manufacturing future iPhones include glass, ceramic, fiber aluminum and plastic.

Apple Bendable Phone Patent
Fig. 2 and Fig 1 from Apple Patent number 9485862 showcase bendable design for future iPhone. Nov. 1, 2016 U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

The patent was filed in August 2014 and contains drawing of both the conventional iPhone and a new one encompassing the design. It adds that the device might even have a bendable display in addition to a foldable form factor.

An earlier patent on the technology was filed in Europe in 2013.

While Apple was granted the patent Tuesday, rivals Samsung and LG have been working on similar devices for long. No company has yet succeeded in providing customers with a genuine bendable phone up till now. When this model would be released, is anyone’s guess.

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Apple inc. Iphone Apple Macbook