Apple has filed a patent at the US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) for its new iPhone design featuring a wraparound 3D display and no buttons.
Incorporating two AMOLED screens one on top of the other, the display would cover the entire surface of the device, which is aimed at offering an enhanced 3D experience to users.
Apple said in its patent filing the majority of portable electronic device manufacturers use a common form factor comprising a flat planar form factor with a single surface dedicated mainly for use as a display surface, while the other surfaces remain largely unused,save for the occasional button or switch.
"Although this form factor lends itself to electronic devices that are aesthetically pleasing and easy to handle… the size of the user interface is generally limited to a portion of the device that takes up less than half of the overall device surface area," the company said.
In addition, the proposed design would not feature any physical volume controls, ‘home’ button on the front and ‘hold’ button on top, while they would be operated via touch gestures bringing up software-based controls on the wraparound screen.
"By holding a finger over the volume indicator an action could be triggered expanding the volume control over the entire left side of the device," Apple said.
"Additional features that can be well suited for portable electronic device include various image capture devices along the lines of cameras."
The device also incorporates a user input device that allows interacting with the electronic device, while network/bus interface couples to a data link that allows pairing to a host computer or to accessory devices.
