Apple recently filed a new patent for an iPhone with a wraparound glass screen that forms 'a continuous loop'
- A patent filing from Apple was posted last month for an iPhone with a wraparound glass screen that "forms a continuous loop" around the device.
- Apple first filed patents for wraparound screens in 2013, but the new patent claims filed in late October provide more details about what the theoretical device would look like.
- Just because Apple filed patent claims, however, does not mean it has any definite plans to develop such a device - it only proves it was researching the technology.
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Apple is fleshing out ideas for an eccentric iPhone that would include a glass screen that wraps all the way around the smartphone, according to new patent claims filed by the company.
The patent claims, published by the US Patent & Trademark Office, build on similar patents Apple has filed going back to 2013 for devices with wraparound screens.
Here's what the device would look like:
While the patents indicate that Apple wants ownership of the idea, there's no promise that Apple will move forward with a plan to develop or sell such a device.
Apple's patent claims filed in October specify that the wraparound screen would constitute a "continuous loop around a periphery of the electronic device," and claims filed in July stipulate that the device would use "facial tracking software ... to determine an orientation of the user" relative to the smartphone. The newer filing also specify that the screen would be made of glass.
"There exists a need for an improved form factor for portable electronic devices which allows functionality to extend to more than one surface of the device," Apple wrote in its patent filing, adding that the company is "investigating ways to maximize the utility of unused portions of these devices."
An Apple spokesperson was not immediately available to respond to a request for comment.