Apple has found a way to extend the display of its devices, but not without making them rather fragile.
While glass screens aren’t a novelty, Apple wants all its products, from Macs to Apple Watches, to have their other sides covered by glass, too.
Using the same material for all its parts would provide devices with a seamless and unified look, even though the device would be made from different glass pieces.
Such a new design would allow the device to have extended displays on the side and on the back. This way, users would see more content that would otherwise take up space in the front screen. For example, a user could see notifications, media controls, or other information on the back of an iPhone or other Apple device.
But what happens to the side buttons on a device such as an iPhone? The document reveals that users would be able to control the device display by touch instead of a physical button when they need to adjust the volume or scroll.
The document also encloses that the glass thickness may vary in certain areas of the device. This could be due to aesthetic reasons or so that the device could support certain functional components.
The patent illustration also shows that devices would have “display regions” that are not made from glass and be interactive and used for components such as ports.
The document includes explanations of how certain devices, such as an iPhone or an Apple Watch, would work with an all-glass display.
For example, an iPhone user would be able to flip their phone and the interface would change accordingly.
One of the main functionalities of a foldable smartphone is that it extends imagery. The same function could work on a future iPhone, where a user would be able to see content extend to the back of the smartphone.
When it comes to the Apple Watch, the glass display could also provide a seamless design and broader functionality as its sides would include an interactive display.
As with many patents, it’s not sure if the company will ever implement these ideas in reality.
In the document, the company also notes that the idea behind the all-glass display isn’t without flaws. Such an interactive display could be deformable or deflectable when too much force is being used to adjust volume or other settings, reports Patently Apple.
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