New research suggests future iPhones, iPads, or Apple Watches could have a stretchable display on the outside, instead of one that just folds inward. For years, Apple has been expected to produce a folding screen iPhone, likely at the September 9, 2026 event. But at least 50 Apple engineers have been working on stretchable displays.

That's how many are credited on the newly-granted patent called "Stretchable Display." It's at least five times more than normally credited on an Apple patent, showing serious long-term commitment. The inventors are chiefly based in California or Taiwan, where Apple has a research center. The patent application has 12 images and 21 pages, slightly more concise than the 2024 filing.

The patent details a display with "a plurality of hermetically sealed rigid pixel islands and a flexible interconnect region." Individual pixel groups wouldn't bend, but the surface they sit on would. Each island includes organic light-emitting diode layers between electrodes, with a conductive cutting structure.

The patent covers various devices, including laptops and cellular phones, but offers few usage examples. It focuses on the technology rather than applications.