According to a new patent application submitted by Apple and made public by USPTO today, Apple wants to add a secondary flexible touch display to iPad’s smart cover to enhance tablet’s overall functionality. Users will be able to attach and detach this new kind of smart cover whenever they want just like the current one. This new cover will not only act as today’s smart cover but will also allow users to have a secondary touch display, on which they can perform certain tasks. For example this secondary display could house extra rows of icons of the home screen, or users could use it for drawing. It could also be used as an external keyboard, something similar to Microsoft’s Surface tablet’s keyboard cover.
A tablet device with a flexible cover is disclosed. Thin flexible display technology can be integrated into the flexible cover without affecting the overall form factor of the cover or tablet device. Adding the integrated display to the flexible cover greatly enhances the overall functionality of the tablet device.
The patent application also reveals that this smart cover will feature a dock connector that will be used for charging and data transfer.
Although this is just a patent application that might not see the light of the day ever, it surely gives an interesting look at how Apple plans to evolve the smart cover that’s not more than a protector and a stand as of this moment.
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