Apple Patent Reveals a ‘Six-Sided Glass’ iPhone Concept
Although former design chief Jony Ive has long since departed from Apple, his visionary “single block of glass” iPhone concept still appears to guide the company’s long-term design philosophy. Recently, a newly filed Apple design patent has revealed its vision for an iPhone encased entirely in “six-sided glass,” bringing the device’s look and feel even closer to that of a seamless, solid piece of glass.
According to the patent description, the device would be constructed from two glass panels—one forming the primary front surface along with part of the sides, and the other comprising the back and the remaining sides. Different areas could be engineered with varying thicknesses to accommodate internal components while maintaining structural integrity. The chassis would feature a touch-enabled display extending across all six surfaces of the device, including the four side edges, each with full touch sensitivity.
Apple emphasizes in the filing that even though the body would be assembled from multiple glass pieces, the final product would achieve “visual and tactile seamless unification,” giving the impression that the entire device was carved from a single block of glass. Openings for the microphone and speakers would be subtly integrated to preserve both functionality and aesthetic cohesion.
The all-encompassing display and touch input described in the patent suggest that future iPhones could be operated not only from the front but also via the sides and even the back, displaying information and receiving gesture-based commands from any angle. This approach eliminates reliance on traditional bezels, instead using glass curvature to extend the screen further, creating a truly borderless visual experience.
Similar side-curved displays have been attempted before—Samsung’s early Galaxy Edge series experimented with such designs but had to compromise on ultra-thin top and bottom bezels, later reverting to a narrow-bezel approach. Apple, however, appears determined to transcend these limitations, deeply integrating the display into the glass structure to achieve visual continuity without sacrificing design integrity.
While a mass-produced iPhone featuring this “six-sided glass” design remains some distance away—due to challenges in manufacturing precision, durability, and internal component arrangement—the patent underscores Apple’s persistent pursuit of minimalism and futuristic hardware aesthetics. One day, the “single block of glass” iPhone may become reality, ushering in a new wave of innovation in the smartphone industry.
