Apple just gave you a glimpse of the future, and this glass iPhone patent could change how your phone looks
A newly uncovered patent reveals Apple’s vision for an all-glass iPhone enclosure with touch-sensitive edges.
Apple has always liked glass, and now with iOS 26, the Cupertino tech giant will introduce to your iPhone a whole OS based on its transparent effects. Apparently, a new patent application reminds us that it's not only in software that Apple would want to gain inspiration from glass.
Apple's former design chief Jony Ive previously hinted about Apple's long-term vision for the iPhone being a "single slab of glass", and this new patent shows that Apple is working on it.
Ive may not be with Apple anymore, but it seems the company is still working towards the single slab of glass idea.
The new patent is for a glass enclosure. The application details an electronic device that sports a six-sided glass enclosure. Basically, the device is shaped like a box made of glass on all six sides. It has two main glass pieces – a first one and a second one – that together make the enclosure around the inside of the device.
Inside the glass shell, a touchscreen display sits close to every side of the enclosure, reaching at least partway along all six faces. Though not every part is pure glass, the design makes the whole device look and feel like one seamless slab of glass. To the eye and to the touch, it seems as if the entire enclosure is made from a single, flawless piece – even though it's actually made from several glass pieces carefully joined together.
Inside the glass enclosure, a touch-sensitive display assembly attaches to the inner surface, according to the application. This touch-sensitive display shows images you can see through parts of both the front and back panels, as well as some of the edges around the sides. It also senses when you touch the glass anywhere on the device. To make this work, there are tiny openings in the glass for microphones and speakers, hidden so they don't break the smooth look.
Obviously, that may sound super fancy, but at the moment, the Cupertino tech giant is far from being able to manufacture this exquisite new iPhone. The closest we are going to get right now is the upcoming iPhone 17 Air, which is expected to be the slimmest iPhone that Apple has ever introduced.
But it's been a long-term fascination of Apple to achieve this glassy experience. Its first major step towards fulfilling that vision was the iPhone X back in 2017. Since then, progress has been made with tiny steps. Gradually, bezels have decreased, for one, but are still there nonetheless.
To get rid of the bezels completely, you would need a curved display that bends around the sides of the device, which is more or less the Apple Watch's take. The company obviously also wants the display of the iPhone to be active all the way into the curved edges and beyond.
I personally think this idea sounds amazing and really futuristic. A phone that feels like one seamless piece of glass would look super sleek and modern. It's cool to see Apple pushing boundaries not just with software but also with design and materials. Even if it's not ready yet, it's exciting to imagine how smooth and elegant our devices could become in the future. Hopefully, they can make it practical and durable, too, though.
Apple's former design chief Jony Ive previously hinted about Apple's long-term vision for the iPhone being a "single slab of glass", and this new patent shows that Apple is working on it.
The new patent is for a glass enclosure. The application details an electronic device that sports a six-sided glass enclosure. Basically, the device is shaped like a box made of glass on all six sides. It has two main glass pieces – a first one and a second one – that together make the enclosure around the inside of the device.
The device has a sleek glass body made of two main glass panels. The first panel forms the front face and wraps slightly around the edges. Along these edges, the glass varies in thickness – some parts are thicker, others thinner – creating a unique, elegant curve. The second panel attaches to the back, completing the glass enclosure on the opposite side. Together, these two glass pieces create a smooth, six-sided glass shell that holds everything inside.
Inside the glass shell, a touchscreen display sits close to every side of the enclosure, reaching at least partway along all six faces. Though not every part is pure glass, the design makes the whole device look and feel like one seamless slab of glass. To the eye and to the touch, it seems as if the entire enclosure is made from a single, flawless piece – even though it's actually made from several glass pieces carefully joined together.
The patent also claims that content would be displayed on every side of the device, and each edge would also be touch-sensitive.
Inside the glass enclosure, a touch-sensitive display assembly attaches to the inner surface, according to the application. This touch-sensitive display shows images you can see through parts of both the front and back panels, as well as some of the edges around the sides. It also senses when you touch the glass anywhere on the device. To make this work, there are tiny openings in the glass for microphones and speakers, hidden so they don't break the smooth look.
But it's been a long-term fascination of Apple to achieve this glassy experience. Its first major step towards fulfilling that vision was the iPhone X back in 2017. Since then, progress has been made with tiny steps. Gradually, bezels have decreased, for one, but are still there nonetheless.
To get rid of the bezels completely, you would need a curved display that bends around the sides of the device, which is more or less the Apple Watch's take. The company obviously also wants the display of the iPhone to be active all the way into the curved edges and beyond.
I personally think this idea sounds amazing and really futuristic. A phone that feels like one seamless piece of glass would look super sleek and modern. It's cool to see Apple pushing boundaries not just with software but also with design and materials. Even if it's not ready yet, it's exciting to imagine how smooth and elegant our devices could become in the future. Hopefully, they can make it practical and durable, too, though.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed:
To help keep our community safe and free from spam, we apply temporary limits to newly created accounts: