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"  Now with a patent granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office, Apple is being a little more forthcoming about the design of its upcoming gadgets\u2014and the future is curved. Bowed screens are not unheard of as both Samsung (Round) and LG (G Flex) have released devices with slight straight-line deficiencies, but Apple&amp;#039;s patent, lovingly cataloged as US 8,603,574, adds a little more credence to tech rumors like the iWatch, a purely speculated (up to this point) smartwatch, and other odd-shaped redesign possibilities for the iPhone as mentioned by Bloomberg in November. The patent doesn&amp;#039;t give Apple exclusive rights to curved displays, but rather the specific manufacturing method. The process uses a system of flat and curved substrates, then allowing heat to mold the display into the desired form factor. The patent describes the process more in-depth: &amp;quot;The method can include depositing and patterning a conductive thin film on a flexible substrate to form at least one touch sensor pattern, while the flexible substrate is in a flat state. According to certain embodiments, the method can include supporting the flexible substrate in the flat state on at least one curved forming substrate having a predetermined curvature; and performing an anneal process, or an anneal-like high-heat process, on the conductive thin film, wherein the anneal process can cause the flexible substrate to conform to the predetermined curvature of the at least one curved forming substrate. According to an embodiment, the curved forming substrate can include a first forming substrate having a first predetermined curvature and a second forming substrate having a second predetermined curvature complementing the first predetermined curvature.&amp;quot; An illustration of the process is depicted below.  Developing a manufacturing process that slims down devices but also increases sensitivity has many more applications for Apple than just iPhones and smartwatches and could eventually find its way into desktop displays, touch pads, and other pieces of tech. It&amp;#039;s also uncertain if Apple will even use this patent to produce its next generation of devices, as the Cupertino tech giant rests and a mountain of unused patents, but it does create a hopeful picture for the future of odd-shaped technology. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gadgets/a9827/apple-gets-curved-screen-patent-16252607/>