An iPhone sculpted from a single seamless sheet of glass… It is a imaginative and prescient that was as soon as pursued by former Apple design chief Jony Ive. Whereas the dream was by no means realized, Apple may take its first tangible step towards it with an all-glass Apple Watch. Or a minimum of that is what one leaker has as we speak prompt.
Based on the Weibo account Immediate Digital, earlier than an all-glass iPhone ever hits the market, we may see an Apple Watch with a touch-interactive, fully-glass body that blurs the boundaries between display screen and enclosure.
The Chinese language leaker supplied no proof to again their declare. Nonetheless, the idea seems in present Apple patents that describe wearable units with glass enclosures and built-in contact zones, pointing to a future the place gesture management and minimalism converge in a usually Apple design.
Apple’s 2021 patent filings do not seem to point the idea is within the firm’s instant plans, however they do present a few of Apple’s particular areas of analysis and growth. That stated, making an all-glass Apple Watch could be a serious design and engineering leap for Apple that will not be with out its challenges.
The obvious hurdle is sturdiness. Glass might look smooth and futuristic, nevertheless it’s additionally extra fragile than the titanium, metallic, and ceramic utilized in present and former Apple Watch fashions. Watches are continuously bumped, scraped, and dropped in every day put on, so Apple would want to develop a sort of glass that is a lot stronger than what we’re used to. For instance, ultra-strong composites or laminated constructions may doubtlessly reinforce a brand new form of glass that may face up to drops, scratches, and flexing over time.
Apple patent envisions an all-glass Apple Watch, amongst different merchandise
Contact interplay is one other tough space. If all the body was product of glass and responded to the touch, Apple would have to verify it may precisely inform the distinction between a deliberate faucet and an unintentional brush towards your sleeve. And since the Apple Watch is so small, the position of these contact zones must be extremely exact.
Then there are questions on the place key parts like buttons, sensors, and antennas would go if the entire case was a single piece of glass. Making one thing like that at scale whereas guaranteeing it was flawless would additionally require some critical breakthroughs in how the system was manufactured.
If Apple can resolve these sorts of challenges, an all-glass Apple Watch could possibly be a primary step towards the seamless, futuristic units lengthy imagined by designers like Ive. However do not maintain your breath simply but.
