Apple has just won a continuation patent for some of the most iconic design elements of the 2027-launching iPhone 20. Even so, the fidelity with which Apple intends to implement these design choices in its 20th anniversary iPhone remains uncertain for now.
Apple's patent envisions an iPhone where touch sensors and display structures extend into portions of the frame, with some touch sensitivity emerging on rear surfaces as well
Apple's new continuation patent describes an iPhone frame that is made from a combination of transparent and opaque materials, where the former might consist of "glass, plastic, sapphire or other clear materials," while the latter is composed of "metal, ceramic, fiber-composite material, opaque plastic or transparent material coated with an opaque masking layer."
The patent envisions an iPhone where display layers extend into the transparent portions of the frame, while touch controls may be placed beneath transparent as well as opaque portions of the frame. Such touch controls might also be placed within certain sections on the rear of the device, allowing the rear to then function as a touch pad of sorts.
While describing the practical applications of placing touch sensors on the iPhone's sidewall, the patent notes:
"Sidewall touch input may be used as a camera control, a virtual shutter button, a virtual slider, a volume control, a brightness control, a color setting control, a contrast setting control or another device control."
Strikingly, the patent also explores an aesthetically stunning device, where "a front transparent wall and curved sidewalls may be formed from a unitary glass layer or similar transparent member. A display layer and touch sensor layer may extend beneath the front wall and continue under the curved sidewalls."
This is a stunning patent, especially as Apple has long aimed for an iPhone that resembles a seamless slab of glass. Also, the patent allows the typically inactive areas of the frame to become productive regions, allowing users the freedom to control certain inputs and settings without interrupting the display's content.
What's more, this vision extends to foldables as well, suggesting that Apple might eventually bring such frame-based touch controls and infinity displays to its foldable lineup as well.
The patent notes that the "touch or display layers may also be deposited and patterned directly on the inner surface of a wall. In other cases, touch or display structures may be formed on a planar wall and then bent into a curved shape."
While many elements of this patent seem to have inspired Apple's vision for the iPhone 20, which is expected to sport a display that curves on all four sides, and bears capacitive buttons on its lateral edges, Apple's full vision might only be realized within subsequent iterations.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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