14 DAY TRIAL // Scratches, bents, and hits have long been one of the fiercest enemies of modern smartphones, and Apple certainly knows this the best after the bendgate scandal that hit the iPhone 6.
The company, however, is looking into ways to prevent all of these from happening on future models, and one way to do this is described in a patent called “Abrasion-Resistant Surface Finishes On Metal Enclosures On Metal Enclosures.”
Technically, Apple’s proposed method comes down to several layers that would be used on the surface of each smartphone in order to make them more resistant to damage.
Still a patent
As the patent explains, the top layer can measure up to 3 micrometers, while a secondary one placed underneath it could be thicker at a maximum of 30 micrometers. Hard materials like ceramic or carbon could be used in these layers.
“The abrasion-resistant coatings can also be used to provide a cosmetic quality to a part. For example, in some cases, the abrasion-resistant coating has a high gloss finish. In some cases, the abrasion-resistant coating has a shiny black color and has a slick, cool-to-the touch feeling,” the abstract section of the patent explains.
“Thus, the abrasion-resistant coatings are well suited for providing cosmetically appealing and protective surfaces to consumer products that may be exposed to a wide range of everyday materials such as steels and other metals, sand, stone, concrete, grit, glass, etc. For example, the abrasion-resistant coatings can be used to form durable and cosmetically appealing finishes for housing of computers, portable electronic devices, wearable electronic devices, and electronic device accessories, such as those manufactured by Apple.”
As with anything in patent stage, there’s no guarantee that such an approach would ever reach the mass-production stage, though it’s reassuring that companies are looking into this kind of improvements for their devices. Making phones harder to scratch or break should be a priority, especially given that the majority of flagships are now making the switch to glass as the body material.
Via BGR