Get this: Apple just got a patent to a flexible iPad cover.

How legit is that? Although the patents acquired by companies like Apple should never really be taken as proof of what’s coming next, it’s great to let the mind wonder to what the future might hold.

The sketches that were released show what an futuristic iPad cover with its own display spread across folding panels would look like.

The idea is that each panel displays various notifications or reminders – or even transform into media control when a movie is being played on the tablet. The Verge explains:

Apple’s patent application notes that AMOLED screens would be ideal here, since they can light up individual pixels and leave the rest turned off, conserving battery.

Another image shows the cover serving as a Wacom-style drawing pad. That seems a little redundant with the sophisticated accuracy that’s been enabled by the Apple Pencil and screen technology in recent iPads, but it’s still a neat idea all the same.

The future sure is brightly lit.

[source: theverge]