Flat glass is boring. All the fanciest Android phones sport curved glass displays. Not to be left out of the display-warping ways, Apple has patented its own glass-bending process.
Apple’s patent illustrates a system of using heat during the slumping process to mold glass to a particular shape. Slumping is the bending of glass over a mold. The alignment system can be adjusted while the glass is hot to allow for dynamic shaping. This could mean that the next iPhone could have a curved display.
But probably not.
Apple regularly patents systems and designs that never make it past the prototype or even the drawing phase. We’re still waiting for an iMac with a slot that accepts a MacBook. Of course if the technique is good enough to patent, it could be good enough for an Apple product.
Apple is keen on glass trackpads, so maybe a glass mouse is in the works. The iPod could do with some curved glass. You know what, let’s just say it’ll be the perpetually-about-to-be-announced Apple HDTV.
Roberto is a Wired Staff Writer for Gadget Lab covering augmented reality, home technology, and all the gadgets that fit in your backpack. Got a tip? Send him an email at: roberto_baldwin [at] wired.com.
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Apple Patents a Method for Bending Glass
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