Apple's new all-glass iPhone design sounds absolutely smashing

iPhone 14 concept
(Image credit: ConceptsiPhone)

iPhone displays have been getting bigger for a while, with the 13 Pro Max screen measuring somewhere in the region of 67 inches (okay, 6.7). But if a new patent filing is anything to go by, your next iPhone could quite literally be nothing but screen.

The filing suggests Apple is working on an iPhone made entirely of glass, with the screen wrapping around the sides and back of the device. The concept could more than double the size of the display without requiring the phone to be, you know, massive. (Don't fancy waiting? Check out the best early Apple Black Friday deals). 

iPhone patent

An image from Apple's patent filing (Image credit: UPSTO)

As spotted by PatentlyApple (opens in new tab), the filing describes a "six-sided glass enclosure" which appears "visually and tactilely seamless," despite actually featuring two separate glass elements. Apple says the device could feature  "no dedicated or visually distinguishable front or top".

When scrolling through settings or content, rather than disappearing, interfaces could continue onto the 'back' of the device, essentially doubling the amount of content the phone is able to display. And with no discernable front or top, volume buttons could remain on the left side of the device, whichever way the user is holding it. 

So what might it look like? Concept artists have been imagining an all-glass iPhone for a while now, and perhaps our favourite example comes courtesy of ConceptsiPhone (below). The render shows just how much that wrap-around display could pop, and we're seriously impressed. 

Of course, one worry is how breakable a glass iPhone might prove. As anyone who's ever smashed an iPhone screen will attest (guilty), one drop can spell doom for your display. Do we really want to end up carrying around an actual slab of cracked glass? We just hope those new ceramic shield displays continue to get stronger.

As with all patents, there's no knowing whether this thing will ever become a reality. Until then, we'll just have to make do with a plain old two-dimensional rectangular screen. But don't worry, from battery life to camera quality, the iPhone 13 is incredible in plenty of other ways – check out today's best deals below. 

Read more:

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Daniel Piper
Senior News Editor

Daniel Piper is Creative Bloq’s Senior News Editor. As the brand’s Apple authority, he covers all things Mac, iPhone, iPad and the rest. He also reports on the worlds of design, branding and tech. Daniel joined Future in 2020 (an eventful year, to say the least) after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more. Outside of Future, Daniel is a global poetry slam champion and has performed at festivals including Latitude, Bestival and more. He is the author of Arbitrary and Unnecessary: The Selected Works of Daniel Piper (Selected by Daniel Piper).