Apple Pushes Apple Intelligence, Foldable Devices, & More After Being Granted Several Patents

Apple, the world’s most valuable company by market capitalization, took its own sweet time to enter the highly active and highly sought-after artificial intelligence (AI) and generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) sector.

Even when it did enter the playing field with its highly anticipated Apple Intelligence (for which it also chose the ‘AI’ acronym), the company faced flak for not delivering a powerful product.

Considering Apple entered the game almost two years after OpenAI’s ChatGPT launched, users expected its AI capabilities to be at par with industry standards, if not surpassing them.

Yet, the company has been infusing its AI technology, which has found its way into Apple’s new line of iPhones, as well as other products.

However, now, Apple is planning to bring its Apple Intelligence to its AR/VR/MR/XR headset—the Apple Vision Pro.

Interestingly, this particular product saw weakening demand from users leading to an eventual shuttering of the product. In fact, many customers chose to return the product “after experiencing headaches, vision issues, neck pain, and motion sickness” as per Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

The same Mark Gurman now reports that Apple’s mid-2024 plan of bringing Apple Intelligence to its Vision Pro headset is finally ready to take off.

This move will come as part of Apple’s visionOS 2.4 software update and will also include Writing Tools, Genmoji, and Image Playground. Developers will receive a version this week, as per Gurman.

However, the headset’s first Apple Intelligence offering will not include an upgraded Siri, which is believed to be due to engineering problems and bugs in the system.

Apple did not respond to requests for comment.


Ahead of this, Apple is truly looking to build for the future with a wide range of moves, including securing new patents and signing partnerships to enhance its product offerings.

As per reports, Apple has partnered with Chinese screen maker Lens Technology to manufacture ultra-thin glass (UTG) panels for a series of foldable devices. This comes as the company is touted to release a foldable iPhone in the second half of 2026 and a giant iPad that will unfold into the size of two iPad Pros placed side-by-side. This device is expected to launch in 2028.

This device is expected to unfold to 20 inches when fully opened, with the screen size expected to be 18.8 inches.

While Lens Technology is expected to secure around 70% of Apple's UTG orders, Corning is reported to be a major supplier of raw materials. However, the folding display will likely be supplied by Samsung Display, which is said to be an exclusive partner for Apple.

Apple has also won 43 utility patents for a wide range of products—Apple is known for its constant innovation.

These included an Apple Watch Band with Wrist Detection, straps with sensors in Apple Watch, Flexible Frame Smart Glasses with a head-mounted support structure, Smart Glasses that will make the public aware when a user is about to record a video, and more, Apple Watch Touchless Wrist Measurement System, Hypertension (Blood Pressure) Monitoring System for future Apple Watches and more, textured exterior surface and other upgrades for AirPods, numerous patents for its Vision Pro including a Side Band Display, and more.

Among these, one patent also noted that Apple’s iPhones could be set to become a universal remote control for several devices such as TVs, smart homes, and cars using wireless technology.

This also builds on numerous patents previously granted, including one in January for future devices with expandable displays that could fold, scroll, and/or slide, which raised interest in Apple’s plan to launch foldable devices. Apple also planned to integrate several action buttons that users could configure individually.

Do you think Apple will be able to challenge other consumer electronics companies already manufacturing foldable devices and using AI technology in their products?

Let us know in the comments below!