When Apple released the Smart Cover for the iPad it formed a clever way to protect your screen and act as a tablet stand in one. But a patent that became public today details how Apple may have a lot more functionality planned for their Smart Covers in future.
The patent in question is called “Cover attachment with flexible display,” and was filed by Apple around a year ago. It details adding a flexible display to the inside of a Smart Cover so as to offer up new functionality beyond the main tablet display.
Based on the diagrams included with the patent filing, Apple envisions this second display to also acts as a touchscreen whose functionality changes based on its configuration. For example, when laid flat it can be drawn on with a stylus, used as a keyboard, or simply displays additional information to compliment whatever is on the tablet’s display. Roll it into a stand configuration though, and touch sensitive playback controls appear allowing you to manipulate the action on screen without ever touching it.
The use of this enhanced Smart Cover would require a new connector be added that allows it to be plugged into the iPad to draw power. If thin battery tech continues to improve though, I bet Apple would prefer to add a battery directly into the Smart Cover and keep the design cleaner.
Whether this Smart Cover+ ever sees the light of day is up to Apple, but I can’t see anyone not liking having a second display built into the iPad’s screen protector and stand. There’s one sector of the market that will be sweating over this, though: peripheral manufacturers. If Apple released this new cover it would replace the need to buy a separate keyboard accessory, and probably a range of other add-on devices too depending on the final feature set.
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