Apple Ultra Will Reportedly Use Special Adhesive to Offer Crease-Free Foldable Display

Apple is expected to foray into a new smartphone category in September with the anticipated unveiling of its first foldable handset. The phone was earlier said to be called the iPhone Fold. However, reports now suggest that the Cupertino-based tech giant might market the handset as the iPhone Ultra. The book-style wide-set foldable has recently appeared in multiple renders and leaks, revealing its design, key specifications, and features. The purported iPhone Ultra is expected to boast a crease-free foldable screen. Now, a report suggests that Apple was able to achieve this by using a special kind of adhesive, which is known for its bonding and elastic properties.

iPhone Ultra Said to Use Optically Clear Adhesive for Inner Screen

Citing a TrendForce report, 9to5Mac has published new details about the purported “crease-free” touchscreen, which could be featured on Apple's first foldable smartphone. The Cupertino-based tech giant will reportedly use a specially optimised optically clear adhesive (OCA), which is generally used for bonding two pieces of glass or hard plastics together.

Moreover, OCA has also found a place in the smartphone industry, where it usually comes in handy for bonding the protective film and the display glass, especially because it is not visible to the naked eye. However, the report highlights that tech firms have also found a new use case for the adhesive. The iPhone-maker is said to leverage OCA's “pronounced” viscoelastic properties through an optimised modulus design and material science for its first foldable handset, which also determines how much deformation any material can undergo before breaking.

As per the report, OCA also enabled “dynamic modulation” of a foldable display's “mechanical response”. Simply put, under light pressure and bending, the material gradually becomes soft. The glue also helps in stabilising the surface tension by “significantly” reducing stress concentration when a display is folded.

Moreover, the special adhesive is reportedly also capable of filling “microscopic irregularities”, which appear when a panel is folded and unfolded over a long period of time. However, when not kept under pressure, it provides higher structural support, which might help Apple's first rumoured foldable to offer a crease-free user experience. OCA is also said to reduce light scattering while further reducing the visible creases commonly found on foldable handsets.

Apple's first foldable handset is expected to be launched in September, which is still a few months away. The phone is said to debut along with the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. The leaked renders suggest that the handset might feature a dual rear camera system. However, the company has yet to confirm the launch.