How would you feel about an iPhone made of glass? Yes, completely made of glass. Or even an Apple Watch? In fact, Apple seems to still be sticking to the idea of equipping future products with a glass casing.
Patents relating to Apple products made of glass are not new. In September of this year, an iMac was filed that was completely should consist of a pane of glass, but Apple seems to be interested in other glass-cased products. The patent, first published by Patently Apple discovered is entitled “Electronic device with glass enclosure” and was recently granted to Apple by the US Patent and Trademark Office grantedThe research focuses on electronic devices with six-sided glass casings.
Patent: iPhone and Co. made entirely of glass
For devices like the iPhone, Apple's patent covers how touchscreen displays are "enclosed within the interior volume and adjacent to at least a portion of each of the six sides of the six-sided glass enclosure." These screens are flexible to conform to the interior curves of the enclosure and can provide additional areas for touch input. The patent explains how the glass can be bent, tapered, and overlapped to create an all-glass enclosure that provides space for components like speakers and microphones. Apple also explains that some of the glass surfaces can have different textures to distinguish them from the adjacent input areas.
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In the process, Cupertino shows several ways to allow access to the internals of the device, presumably for manufacturing and repair purposes, such as removing a window or so-called "cap." This could allow the internal components to slide out, similar to the Siri remote on the latest Apple TV. The patent also shows how the device's software could be integrated into a glass design to dynamically adapt depending on how the user holds and orients the device, such as displaying additional information on the outer edges and having UI elements that adapt to the surface being interacted with.
Patents provide fascinating insights into Apple's current research and development areas
In addition to the iPhone, which appears to be the focus of the patent, the filing also shows how other devices such as the Apple Watch, a cylindrical Mac Pro and a Mac Pro tower could be equipped with glass casings and use their interior surfaces. Devices with glass casings have long been idealized by some, including former Apple designer Sir Jony Ive, as the natural conclusion of Apple design. Whether we will ever see such a product remains to be seen, of course. Because here's the thing: patent filings often offer a fascinating insight into Apple's current areas of research and development. In the end, however, they may remain just an idea. (Photo by manae / Bigstockphoto)
