Apple has been granted another patent for a folding phone, fueling rumours it could be preparing a radical new type of device. Some claim the Cupertino brand's future iPhone could be influenced by 1990s flip phones, made popular by Motorola.

The new patent illustration shows how a hinge in the middle of the handset's display would enable it to bend in half. The 'open' phone looks remarkably similar to today's iPhone - but actually has a flexible hinge allowing it to be folded.

One version of the design leaves the screen hidden when the phone is folded in two, similar to clamshell phones of the past. The patent document suggests a flexible nitinol, a nickel and titanium alloy for the handset's support structure on one of several variations listed in the patent.

One version of the design leaves the screen hidden when the phone is folded in two, similar to clamshell phones of the past.

Another, leaves the screen visible, but reduced to half its size. The new design represents one of 39 patents that Apple has been granted today by the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Earlier this month, it emerged that Apple had been awarded a new patent for a foldable iPhone concept. Apple first began researching this technology in 2013, but the new patent suggests the firm is still serious about making foldable phones a reality in the future.

Source: dailymail