Don’t you just hate it when smartphones shatter to pieces after just a short freefall? Well, you have to be more careful with these $1000+ glass sandwiches. Phones are more fragile than ever, and it’s all our fault, but Apple has come with a new idea that can save the day. A newly granted US patent describes how future phone cases can detect a “drop event” and alter their properties to offer better protection, appleinsider reports.
"Active electro-mechanical materials for protecting portable electronic devices," deals with two separate problems. The detection of that unfortunate event when your phone just slips out of your hands, and the inevitable impact with the ground. Widespread passive protection materials, such as rubber, plastic, or leather offer a static level of protection. They can maybe deal with a 4 feet fall but toss your phone from a bit higher and it’d be totaled.
The new materials Apple is talking about uses clever electro-magnetic wizardry to actively alter their characteristics. "When the active electro-mechanical material is exposed to external stimuli (e.g., electrical field, magnetic field, etc.), then the active electro-mechanical material is activated.," the patent continues. "Subsequently, the stiffness or viscosity of the active electro-mechanical material is altered."
In layman’s terms, when your active case detects a fall event, it sends an electrical current to stiffen the dampening material. The higher the fall, the stiffer the material gets. The aim is to offer enough dampening to absorb the shock of the impact, without breaking the protected device in the process. Furthermore, Apple wants these cases to be able to react in a matter of milliseconds. It all may sound like a science-fiction at the moment but if anyone can make these active smartphone cases a reality, it’s Apple.
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
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