Apple's rumoured phablet, the iPhone 6, is likely the first beneficiary of invisible control keys on top of the wrap-around display that the smartphone will reportedly introduce come its release date next year, a new report said.

Analyst believe the iPhone 6 will bring in new innovations, inside and out, for Apple and among them is a screen display that pretty much covers the phone's body.

The concept is for a functional mobile phone that is virtually all-screen, front and back, with control buttons hardly noticeable.

This illusion, according to Patently Apple, will be achieved using the tech giant's newly-approved patent called 'Disappearing Button or Slider'. The new technology calls for the radical redesign of iPhone control keys that appears to mix with the device, thereby creating an optical illusion that they are non-existent.

When needed, these buttons will be highlighted by backlight that will be automatically activated as soon as a user's finger is placed on top of the invisible keys.

The implementation allows Apple to re-locate (or even eliminate) the physical keys on its iOS devices, starting off with the iPhone 6.

The Apple phablet, for example, can have control buttons, which are invisible, at the back portion - the design approach would then allow users to manipulate the handset and completely relish a full-screen serving.

The invention is seen to accomplish full-gadget functionality without sacrificing aesthetic, which is a known Apple philosophy.

Initial application of the granted patent could be seen in the upcoming iPhone 5S. The smartphone refresh is expected to come with a fingerprint sensor that Apple engineers will reportedly meld with the Home button.

The new security feature, of course, is unseen by the naked eye.

The iPhone 5S is rumoured for a September 2013 release date while the iPhone 6 is seen by analysts to start hitting store shelves beginning June next year.