2 technologies here. The self-healing paint on the casing & the self-healing paint itself.
Sounds like Terminator 3...
Nissan's Self-Healing iPhone Casing
Polyurethane Coating Could Make Self-Healing Car Paint
*I have scratches on my car the other day and I was thinking, "Hey, wouldn't it be nice if my car is self-healing". Apply that to iPhone & iPad.
A few years down the road, you may be able to get that scratch out of your car’s bumper simply by parking in a sunny spot. Researchers have created a polyurethane coating that heals itself when exposed to ultraviolet light.
"This new material will have a lot of practical applications," said study co-author Marek Urban, a chemist at the University of Southern Mississippi. “It could coat anything that can be scratched—electronics, aircraft, cars, you name it."
*I believe this technology will be applied to Apple devices. Either that, it will be scratch resistant like applying a coat of sapphire coating on iPhone or iPad or iWatch.
**I envisioned the iPhone/iPad will be waterproof/heatproof, OLED or higher technology, scratch-proof/self healing screen all round such that you can change skins for the devices and it will be a fashion statement. Also, you can wear a pair of wireless glasses/spectacles or project it as a hologram such that screen size is no longer a limitation. Charging of power for the devices will be "wireless". There will be wide-spread apps supporting Siri in doing whatever you want such as grocery, remote control, purchases, running your daily chores, answering any questions in the world-wide web database.