Only three years remain before Apple celebrates its 20th anniversary, when it introduced the very first iPhone and revamped the industry, so it will want the design to be nothing short of extraordinary. Rumors doing their usual rounds have stated that the California-based giant will ditch the aluminum and stainless steel chassis and switch to an ‘all-glass’ exterior, followed by zero cutouts at the front, delivering that near-perfect iPhone. However, achieving this feat is easier said than done, but the company definitely wants a head start before the official unveiling, which is why it has recently filed a patent that describes ‘an electronic device’ covered by glass on six sides. Let us take a deeper dive into what the patent talks about.
The latest patent also states that the next-generation iPhone’s enclosure may be ‘visually and tactilely seamless,’ giving the impression that Apple will use a single slab of glass, but that might not be the actual case
The patent application has been filed with the USPTO, and while the rumors might have given the impression that Apple intends to use a single piece of glass to design the next iPhone’s enclosure, it can be a very impractical way of mass manufacturing a smartphone’s chassis. Firstly, it will be extremely brittle, which is why the patent’s details state that the enclosure will be designed in a manner that gives the illusion that the iPhone’s exterior is made up entirely of glass.
‘An electronic device includes a six-sided glass enclosure defining an interior volume and comprising a first glass member and a second glass member. The first glass member defines at least a portion of a first major side of the six-sided glass enclosure, at least a portion of a peripheral side of the six-sided glass enclosure, a first region along the peripheral side having a first thickness, and a second region along the peripheral side having a second thickness different from the first thickness.
The second glass member is attached to the first glass member and defines at least a portion of a second major side of the six-sided glass enclosure. The electronic device further includes a touchscreen display within the interior volume and positioned adjacent to at least a portion of each of the six sides of the six-sided glass enclosure. The second thickness may be greater than the first thickness, and the second region may define at least a portion of a corner region of the six-sided glass enclosure. The first glass member may further define an input region along an exterior surface of the peripheral side, having a surface texture that is different from an area surrounding the input region.’
You are welcome to check out the patent’s details, but if you want some of the more exciting tidbits, 9to5Mac reports that there will be holes in the glass for microphones and speakers, and that the content would be displayed on every edge, with the edge also being touch-sensitive. Whatever futuristic design Apple comes up with, we believe it will be an exciting revelation. Unfortunately, we have to wait a while because the launch of the 20th anniversary iPhone is not expected until 2027.
News Source: USPTO
About the author: Omar Sohail is a reporter and analyst for Wccftech's mobile section, specializing in the technology and business of the mobile industry. His expertise lies in the intricate hardware supply chain, covering developments in semiconductor manufacturing, chip lithography, and camera sensor technology.
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