We have seen quite a few different Apple patents this past month, including a technology that would stop your smartphone from dropping on its screen. While most of these patents won’t be implemented in an actual device, it is clear the company is working on some new features for their devices.
The new patent application for the iPhone shows a completely new form factor for the smartphone, with a wraparound display. The phone patent shows a curved device with no-bezel, it looks a lot like the packaging you would normally get if you bought a pair of earphones.
Apple may be taking some queues from the design of the fourth and fifth generation iPod Nano with this wraparound display too. The iPhone will also be able to have displays on both sides, the example given by Apple is two people could watch a videos or view photos.
The phone will still be designed with the same premium materials, despite its funky feel. The phone could either come with Apple’s signature cold aluminium or possibly transparent glass with oleophobic coating to keep fingerprints at bay. This sort of glass is already used on watches, and this design could be used on Apple rumoured iWatch.
Flexible displays currently only exist in the world of Samsung and Corning, but Apple could invest in Corning as they have done previously to get their hands on the technology. This would make the wraparound iPhone almost unbreakable.
While we don’t expect anything to really come from this, especially considering Apple’s almost snail-like speed in reinventing the iPhone, it does show Cupertino is presenting and developing new ways to interact and design smartphones.
What we are really interested in is all these patents seem to be collectively working towards some kind of iWatch model design, with the slap-bracelet and now the wraparound display, we could see something innovative once again from Apple.
