Apple has filed for a patent (number 20180157291) for a “trimless glass enclosure interface” that hints at upcoming iPhones and iPads with even slimmer edges (or trims) that allow for bigger displays.
In the patent filing, the company notes that portable computing devices typically include a “generous” display configured to show a user graphical output and oftentimes the display is combined with a touch sensitive input device that allows the user to control the portable computing device. As portable computing devices become more compact, the enclosure design and the display must also become smaller.
However, Apple says that “simple size reducing older designs” can provide a product that may not provide adequate display area or may not adequately protect a cover glass attached to the portable computing device. What’s more, conventional device enclosures include trim gaskets, trim pieces, or other trim-protective features which may decrease the aesthetics of a final device. Apple says that what’s needed is a “portable computing device with an enclosure design that can be reduced in size, that can increase aesthetic qualities, and that will adequately protect the cover glass.”
Here’s Apple’s summary of the invention: “An enclosure for a portable computing device can include a cover glass affixed to an enclosure without trim pieces disposed between the cover glass and the disclosure. In one embodiment, the enclosure can include an edge profile that can define a relatively large contact pad about the enclosure. The contact pad can distribute impact forces over a relatively large area and thereby protect the cover glass integrity.”
Of course, Apple files for — and is granted — lots of patents by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Many are for inventions that never see the light of day. However, you never can tell which ones will materialize in a real product.
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