Apple is proud of the mix of sturdy glass and solid aluminium shell that houses the iPhone, but the tech giant is also aware that a nasty fall can instantly wreck the popular smartphone.

A solution to this is probably on the way, according to Apple Insider, pointing to a new tech innovation from Apple called 'Protective Mechanism for an Electronic Device,' which when implemented with the iPhone will ease the impact of accidental drops.

The new invention aims to employ "a mechanism to shift the centre of gravity or orientation of a device if sensors on board indicate it is falling," Engadget said in a report.

The patent stipulated that through the use of gyroscopes, accelerometers, GPS and imaging sensors, future iPhones can detect freefall mode, calculate the impact of the impending crash to the ground and make the necessary adjustments to cushion the damage.

The phone processor will also play a key role in protecting the phone by calculating the relevant data like height and speed then dispatching the best solution to avert a disastrous fall.

The countermeasure solutions include "the movement of a weighted mass within the device, a means to grip a plug to prevent a freefall, lift foils that can be extended out from the surface of a device, and a thrust mechanism such as a can of gas," Apple Insider said.

In the patent overview "the protective mechanism may be activated to rotate the device so that it may impact a surface on its edge, rather than on a screen portion," Apple said.

Prior to that "the protective mechanism is configured to alter the device orientation as the device is falling ... to allow a less vulnerable portion of the device to impact the surface at the end of a freefall," the patent filing added.

The real-world implement of the invention could come in the form of cable, likely a ' locking headset', that will break the fall, hidden weights inside the handset that shift position to bear the impact of a crash and airfoils or reserve gas to provide the thrust for counter-gravitation acceleration.

Needles to say, consumers can't expect to get the unbreakable iPhone 5S and iPhone in 2013 as it could take some time to integrate the new technology to handset profiles that adhere to thin and light body finish.

In theory, the fresh invention can de deployed to other mobile devices like laptop and tablet computers, but its basic design is largely optimised for portable gadgets that are designed to be carried on a daily basis - all fitting to the iPhone description.