If you think the rumored glassy redesign of iOS 19 could be a game-changer, check out Apple’s latest granted U.S. patent detailing all-glass enclosures for future devices including the iPhone, Apple Watch, and even Mac Pro.
The patent envisions devices where all external surfaces (front, back, and sides) are made of glass, creating a seamless, transparent appearance with a roving interface that can be used from any angle.
Beyond aesthetics, the glass enclosures would introduce new interactive capabilities, according to the patent. Apple describes touch- and force-sensitive areas extending to the sides and back of devices, essentially creating multi-sided interfaces that could adapt based on how the user holds or orients the device. The embodiments also include mechanisms to take apart the devices for repairs.
For iPhones, the patent illustrates a six-sided glass design where displays could appear on any surface, with accommodations for components such as speakers and microphones. The user interface would dynamically shift depending on the device’s orientation, allowing for contextual interactions regardless of which side faces the user.
The filing also includes concepts for other Apple products, including a glass Mac Pro tower with an octagonal prism shape, and an Apple Watch constructed almost entirely from transparent glass (a concept that we resurfaced last week).
Some designs feature deformable sides, enabling users to trigger actions by applying pressure, such as squeezing the sides of an iPhone to control media playback or adjust volume. Certain ideas also have echoes of Apple’s previous experimentation with force-sensitive inputs like 3D Touch.
Apple’s exploration of glass enclosures isn’t exactly new. The company has been investigating this technology for over a decade – and former design chief Jony Ive famously wanted to create an iPhone out of a single seamless slab of glass.
Of course, patents don’t guarantee we will actually see the products as consumer devices, but they do offer an insight into Apple’s potential long-term vision for more immersive, interactive device designs across its product lines.
(Via Patently Apple.)
