An iPad enclosed in glass may be in the works as new patent suggests

Name a difference between the iPhone and the iPad! Okay, I mean, beyond the obvious size difference. Yep, iPhones, traditionally, feature glass both on the front and back, while iPads have stuck to aluminum casings for quite some time. Not that this has prevented it from being one of the Best Tablets on the market.

As such, is there any wonder that Apple is looking to bring the aesthetic of the iPad closer to their main product? Rumors about iPads with glass backs have been going around for a while now, but now we have reason to believe that this is more than just a rumor.

Apple submitted a patent, which describes an iPad that is basically enclosed in glass. While there are benefits and drawbacks to such a concept, before we go over them, you should remember that patents don’t always mean that manufacturing is imminent.



The patent itself goes over the process that may eventually be required when putting such an iPad together, in painstaking detail. It involves numerous tricks in order to achieve the desired outcome, namely: a casing entirely made from glass, but one must ask: why?

Let’s go over the benefits. For starters, wireless connectivity of most types would see a boost if the aluminum chassis would be replaced by a glass one. Would it be to a noticeable extent? Probably not. Also, in theory, glass is cheaper than aluminum, so there is also that.

Then we have the benefit of a more unified design and this is the part where we’d like to remind you that a glass casing does not mean that the iPad would be transparent, as it is more likely that it won’t.

That being said, however, there is a glaring downside to the entire concept: it is glass. This is one of the most breakable materials and given that the iPad is larger — and thus, heavier — than an iPhone, it is way more likely to not survive a fall. A metal chassis would at least not shatter upon impact, but one made from glass? Difficult to trust.

But all of these are theoretical points of view that depend on different use-case scenarios. While this patent may mean that Apple is at least curious about the idea, it is more likely that the company is looking to reserve the idea as a form of insurance over the competition.

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In case this has got you itching to get an iPad of your very own, we’ve got your back with a guide right here.