Apple Is Still Obsessed With the Idea of an All-Glass iPhone

If you think the rumored glassy redesign of iOS 19 could be a game-changer, check out Apple's latest granted U.S. patent detailing all-glass enclosures for future devices including the iPhone, Apple Watch, and even Mac Pro.

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The patent envisions devices where all external surfaces (front, back, and sides) are made of glass, creating a seamless, transparent appearance with a roving interface that can be used from any angle.

Beyond aesthetics, the glass enclosures would introduce new interactive capabilities, according to the patent. Apple describes touch- and force-sensitive areas extending to the sides and back of devices, essentially creating multi-sided interfaces that could adapt based on how the user holds or orients the device. The embodiments also include mechanisms to take apart the devices for repairs.

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For iPhones, the patent illustrates a six-sided glass design where displays could appear on any surface, with accommodations for components such as speakers and microphones. The user interface would dynamically shift depending on the device's orientation, allowing for contextual interactions regardless of which side faces the user.

The filing also includes concepts for other Apple products, including a glass Mac Pro tower with an octagonal prism shape, and an Apple Watch constructed almost entirely from transparent glass (a concept that we resurfaced last week).

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Some designs feature deformable sides, enabling users to trigger actions by applying pressure, such as squeezing the sides of an iPhone to control media playback or adjust volume. Certain ideas also have echoes of Apple's previous experimentation with force-sensitive inputs like 3D Touch.

Apple's exploration of glass enclosures isn't exactly new. The company has been investigating this technology for over a decade – and former design chief Jony Ive famously wanted to create an iPhone out of a single seamless slab of glass.

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Of course, patents don't guarantee we will actually see the products as consumer devices, but they do offer an insight into Apple's potential long-term vision for more immersive, interactive device designs across its product lines.

(Via Patently Apple.)

Tag: Patent

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Top Rated Comments

mozumder Avatar
26 weeks ago
Might as well sell it pre-broken
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
10anta Avatar
26 weeks ago
A sizeable chunk of this feels like defensive patents to me, designed to protect Apple from a competitor coming out with a revolutionary product that makes their existing products look dated.

The all glass, multi-sided phone concept in particular feels like a solution in search of a problem - with the increased issue of greater fragility all for the benefit of users who apparently can't hold their device the right way round so they can see the screen.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
26 weeks ago
New iPhone mini confirmed!

Or these are really huge hands.



Attachment Image
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dr McKay Avatar
26 weeks ago
Absolutely gorgeous, can’t wait to slap it in a big chunky case
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Total Respray Avatar
26 weeks ago
Glad to see Apple being transparent for once.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
0049190 Avatar
26 weeks ago
I would be happy with an glass front without the notch or dynamic island.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)