Apple invents futuristic concept iPhone with NO ports or holes
YOUR next iPhone could come without any buttons.
Apple has designed a mobile with no ugly ports, buttons or other holes in its bid to invent the next game-changing gadget.
Blueprints filed to the US Patent and Trademark Office show an iPhone with a completely glass body.
Looking a bit like a smooth, high-tech pebble, Apple describes its invention as a "six-sided glass enclosure", reports .
Using the phone might sound like a logistical nightmare, but Apple has thought up clever solutions to fix any issues.
For instance, to juice up the phone's battery, you would simply use a wireless charging pad instead of plugging in a cable.
You would also be entirely reliant on Bluetooth headphones, rather than wired ones.
There are technically "buttons" on the sides of the phone, but they're completely invisible and flush with the surface.
That's because the phone's side is kitted out with touch sensors, which would likely vibrate to let you know you've pressed them.
Touch-sensitive side sections could also display the phone's battery life and notifications, according to the patent.
There's no SIM card tray, meaning you'll probably have to opt for a software-based "eSIM".
These are embedded chips in your phone that are rewritable, meaning you can decide to change your operator with a simple phone call.
High-tech mobiles like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip use eSIMs, with more phones expected to adopt the technology in future.
Phone-makers have devised button-less smartphones before.
, released in 2018, was among the first smartphones to only use pressure-sensitive buttons.
Last year, Chinese firm Meizu unveiled designs for a space-age concept phone with "no buttons, no speaker holes, no SIM card slot [and] no charging port".
Apple's patent does not guarantee a button-less iPhone is on the way.
The company could simply be playing around with designs, and may bin the project in future.
iPhone tricks to try today
Here are some of the best...
- Typing cursor – When typing, hold down the space bar to turn your keyboard into a trackpad, letting you move around words and sentences more easily
- Close all Safari tabs – To do this in one go, simply hold the overlapped squares in the bottom right-hand corner, and press close all tabs
- Delete lots of photos quickly – Hold down on a photo and then drag your finger diagonally in Photos to select lots of images at once, then hit delete
- Convert currency quickly – Swipe down from the top of your Home screen (or swipe left to right on an iPhone X), then tap in the bar and type a currency (like $200) and it will automatically covert to your local currency
- Check if you're due a battery upgrade – Batteries inside smartphones degrade over time. Just go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health, and check out the Maximum Capacity reading. Generally a battery is considered worn when you're down to 80% capacity. If you're below, you can buy a battery swap from Apple
- Move apps around faster – Hold an app until it starts wiggling, then (while still holding) tap other apps, causing them to stack so you can move them around easier
Ports and buttons are gradually becoming obsolete in the world of smartphones.
As companies strive for bigger phones with more screen space than ever before, it seems charging ports, speaker hole and more are on the chopping block.
Many people use Bluetooth headphones now anyway, and wireless charging technology is being loaded into more phones than ever before.
We've even seen ultrasonic "in-screen" fingerprint scanners in mobiles like the Samsung Galaxy S20. They could one day replace the need for power buttons.
In other news, alleged footage of a secret new iPhone emerged last week.
These exclusive Sun mock-ups reveal what Apple's next iPhone could look like.
Last month, a list of iPhones branded "obsolete" and "dangerous" was unveiled by experts.
Are you excited for Apple's new mobiles? Let us know in the comments!
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