iPhone 6 Release Date Nears As Apple Patents Curved Touch Screen And Display Tech
Apple has recently received a patent for curved displays and touchscreens, as reported by the Apple Insider. The patent was described as a system for producing curved touchscreen glass.
The patented technology made curved screen surface that remains to be touch sensitive without actually distorting and deforming the image display. Moreover, this Apple technology can be used for displays and touch sensitive touch pads and other devices.
Essentially, Apple's new technology is different from other existing curved glass techniques as the common substrate that adds touch sensitivity is flat, even if the glass panel that covers it is curved or not. Consequently, sensitivity suffers because of instances when the user's finger is further away from the touch panel than it actually is or in a non-curved device.
The patent includes a method for screen with surface variation. It lays out a series of bubbles which could be handy in producing touch sensitive button interfaces for adding input methods to a touch mouse and controlling volume and brightness.
Unlike Samsung and LG, the Cupertino tech giant did not make any overt moves to make curved glass smartphone like the Samsung Galaxy Round and LG G Flex. Conversely, Apple is baking something that creates some buzz around non-traditional screens. A Bloomberg report suggested that Apple is currently working on a curved glass iPhone which will be released in 2014. Furthermore, the report said Apple is also creating better touch input for its future devices. The Apple patent currently acquired is now lining up with those reports in November.
Currently, curved glass can be considered as a fad. However, it remains unclear whether it will be a hit in the smartphone market. At this point, this technology is worth watching, especially that the biggest players in the smartphone industry are putting effort into making these next-generation curved displays.