At the end of last week, Apple filed a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a version of the iPhone that would be completely bendable, while still being made of highly-conductive metal. The key to this device's functionality is how Apple intends to design and build those metal components.

While other various companies have researched the possibility of making bendable smartphones, they have all inevitably run into the same problem. The metal that is used behind the displays - made out of conductive materials that allow the phone to operate - can break easily while bent. This has presented an issue, as using more malleable organic products have proven less effective at powering the phone.

In order to circumvent this problem, Apple has come up with a new solution, which is the crux of it's new patent application. The company has created a new technique in how they shape the metal that will be used in their phones. Instead of producing the materials in straight lines, they will instead be bent to enhance their strength and make them able to be bent without being damaged.

When the flexible display is bent, the metal is actually capable of stretching, so that it can be contorted into any shape - event entirely folded - without any damage being done to the smartphone or its internal components. While the patent is still being processed by the federal agency, it is still unknown whether or not Apple will actually release a bendable iPhone to the world in the near future.

If you are shopping around for any new Apple product, such as the Macbook Air, be sure to check out the rest of PortableOne's website!