The next iPhone could have a curved display like the Galaxy S6 Edge

Samsung and Apple have spent years in court arguing over who ripped off whom more, but some cases are more clear-cut than others.

For example, a just-granted Apple patent covers a "mini flexible edge display" not unlike the curved-side screens found on Samsung phones like the Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy Note Edge.

The patent, spotted by Patently Apple, could point to a curved or side-mounted display for the iPhone 7 (or whatever the next iPhone is called).

Context and possibilities

The filing describes a number of different possibilities, including flexible displays that extend onto the phone's sides and feature touch buttons and controls that, for instance, could theoretically replace the volume buttons on an iPhone's side.

The inputs could change contextually, becoming a camera shutter button or other useful feature when needed.

Apple even shows how virtual buttons on a device's side and back could be used as inputs for gaming, though that's a far more niche use for this technology.

The possibilities Apple describes are intriguing, but that doesn't mean these features will show up on the next iPhone - or at all. Nevertheless we'll keep an eye out for further clues.

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