14 DAY TRIAL // Rumor has it that the iPhone 8 is likely to come with a glass front and back and a metal frame, as Apple is looking into a design that reminds of the iPhone 4.
And judging from a recent patent, Apple might already have the glass body for the next iPhone, and it could even give up on metal entirely.
Discovered by CultofMac, the patent called “Glass enclosure” seems to define a completely new category of products, and not just the iPhone. The same “glass enclosure” could be used on iPhones, iPods, and iPads, as it allows different form factors, sizes, and shapes.
According to the patent, the technology that Apple developed is a “handheld computing device that includes an enclosure having structural walls formed from a glass material that can be radio-transparent. The enclosure can be formed from a hollow glass tube or two glass members bonded together. A laser frit bonding process may be used to hermetically seal the two glass members together to create a water resistant electronic device.”
Water resistance and no antenna lines
This abstract section of the patent tells pretty much everything about how this could work, including why glass is a much better choice than metal.
Basically, a glass construction improves radio signals as well, so an iPhone that would adopt this glass enclosure would no longer need antenna bands. Furthermore, such an approach could continue Apple’s investments in water-resistant devices, so the sealing the company would use can make the iPhone fully waterproof.
Of course, a patent is by no means confirmation that an iPhone made entirely of glass is on its way, but at least it provides us with a glimpse into how Apple sees the future of its “computing devices.”
The iPhone 8 is projected to launch in the fall of 2018, and it will mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. This is one of the reasons Apple is trying to roll out a major overhaul, including what’s likely to be a bezel-less approach that would have the display incorporating all front-facing parts, including the camera and the Home button.