Reports of a particularly curvaceous 2017 iPhone have been lent weight by a recent patent approval.
There have been rumours of a curved-screen iPhone floating around for years now, but they appear to be solidifying around next year’s iPhone 7S – or iPhone 8, as the case me be.
That seems to have been strengthened by the recent news that Apple’s old patent application for a curved, wrap-around phone display has been approved.
It should be noted that this patent goes beyond a merely cosmetic curved display. It details a screen that goes right around the phone, enabling even the side buttons to be replaced by virtual equivalents.
You can see this in the provided sketch, which shows iOS running on an elliptical device, with the volume control handled by a screen slider on the side.
As Mashable points out, there are other possible designs offered, such as a completely cylindrical device, and one with angled corners and sides.
Related: Apple Watch 2 – Everything you need to know
Of course, none of these should be taken as specific guides as to the design direction Apple is planning to take. The simple presence of the long connector on the bottom of each device shows how old this patent application is – we’re talking pre-Lightning port 2011.
Still, it’s good to know that Apple now has a go ahead to launch that curved-screen iPhone everyone seems to be expecting. Of course, a curved display of this kind also points to AMOLED technology, so this can be filed in the ‘evidence for an AMOLED display iPhone’ file too.
iPhone SE review video:
Would you like to see a curved iPhone? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
