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Steve Jobs found it difficult to encase the well-designed iPhone in plastic protectors, and years after his death, Apple could release a phone that doesn’t need a case.
The tech giant has been awarded a new patent that describes a “hard-wearing” surface that is less susceptible to scratches, scuffs or scrapes, eliminating the need for unsightly covers.
Images in the document show a belt of durable microbeads, smaller than the size of a pencil tip, extending above the back panel of an iPhone that claims to protect the softer parts of the device’s casing.
Apple suggests designing the “wear-resistant” beads could be “composed of metals, glasses, ceramics or other suitable materials.”
A belt of very fine but durable microspheres, which the new patent says can each be up to 5 millimeters in size, will protrude from the iPhone’s back panel and protect the softer case
In many iterations of the iPhone, Apple has struggled and experimented with improving the device’s resiliency for everyday use while maintaining the smooth, glossy finish of the mobile device. Product reviewers described the new iPhone 14 as very ‘fragile’
According to the patent, the beads may be “embedded in the plastic material,” suggesting an iPhone back panel similar to the polycarbonate used on earlier budget-conscious models of the iPhone, such as the iPhone 5S and 5C released in 2013.
These beads “may extend above an upper surface of the plastic material,” as described in the patent, Patent 11678445which was filed on September 26, 2017, but was only granted and made public by the US Patent and Trademark Office last Tuesday.
During many iterations of the iPhone over the years, Apple has struggled and experimented to improve the device’s resilience to everyday wear and tear while maintaining the smooth, glossy finish of the mobile device.
Last year’s iPhone 14 and 14 Plus featured an IP68-rated (IEC standard 60529) waterproof “ceramic shield” that encased the entire phone, with a flat aluminum back panel, available as stainless steel on the more expensive 14 Pro and Pro Max .
These solid sounding materials anyway went bad in certain product reviewer decline tests compared to iPhones 12 and 13.
Apple’s new patent, titled “spatial composites,” offered hints that it had a plan to split the difference between durability and glamour: a “faceted” surface for the exposed microspheres that would sparkle like polished gemstones
“Such facets can reflect light in certain directions,” the patent says, “which can produce a desired appearance, reflection, image, or color.”
Apple’s new patent, simply titled “spatial composites,” offered hints that it had a plan to split the difference between durability and glamour: a “faceted” surface for the exposed parts of the microbeads (pictured above). The beads sparkled like polished gems
Images in the document show a belt of durable microbeads, smaller than the size of a pencil tip, extending above the back panel of an iPhone
While diagrams filed with the patent clearly suggest that this wear-resistant back panel was intended for the iPhone, the language indicates that more scratch-resistant iPads, MacBooks, and other devices could also be in the works.
However, one of the few things that Apple’s patent doesn’t describe at all is what this texture feels like.
The always design-conscious technology maker from Cupertino has patented innovations to get ahead of rivals or reserve concepts that he eventually passed on.
For example, nothing has yet come of Apple’s patent for a wallet-like foldable iPhone.
But the tough microbeads solve a pressing need for a naturally tough iPhone made from materials that retain their shine and aren’t so strong that they accidentally become an electromagnetic shield that defeats the whole point of a cell phone.
Industry observers speculate that this patent is coming too late for inclusion in the inevitable iPhone 15.
But some have wondered if the glittery chunky beading could become a hallmark of the long-rumored and extremely powerful iPhone Ultra, embedded in a back panel nestled in its equally-rumored titanium chassis.