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).
An image from Apple's patent filing (Image credit: UPSTO)
As spotted by PatentlyApple, 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".
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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.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles. He has interviewed leaders and designers at brands including Apple, Microsoft and Adobe. Daniel's debut book of short stories and poems was published in 2018, and his comedy newsletter is a Substack Bestseller.
