Apple has a long string of patents that demonstrates their ongoing work on future glass device embodiments going back to at least 2014 regarding an all-glass iPhone. Other patents could be reviewed here: 01, 02, 03 and 04 (for an Apple Watch). Today, the U.S. Patent Office granted Apple a patent that could technically be considered a master patent for glass device enclosures as it covers all-glass embodiments for Apple Watch, mac and a unique iPhone with imagery on both sides of the body. Our report also covers three design patents granted to Apple today.

Apple's patent covers electronic devices such as iPhone, iPads, Macs, Apple Watch  that are formed from glass. Conventionally, glass has been used in such devices to provide a transparent window over a touchscreen on a front of the device. Described herein, however, are electronic devices with enclosures that use glass to define multiple sides of the enclosure.

For example, an enclosure that takes the general form of a rectangular prism may include a glass front, a glass back, and one or more glass sides. In some cases, substantially the entire enclosure (e.g., all exterior surfaces of the enclosure) is formed of glass, including the front, back, and all sides of the enclosure. In such cases, the enclosure may appear visually and tactilely seamless, such that the entire enclosure may appear to be formed from a single piece of glass (even though it may be formed from multiple separate pieces attached together).

Enclosures having glass defining multiple sides of the enclosure may facilitate or enable numerous additional functions and uses that are not realized with conventional enclosures. For example, glass backs and glass sides may be transparent, allowing the electronic device to include additional displays that are viewable through the sides and/or the back. 

Moreover, the side- and back-viewable displays may be made touch and/or force sensitive using touch- and/or force-sensing systems, effectively turning the side and back surfaces into additional input devices or surfaces with which a user may interact to control the electronic device.

The first glass member below defines at least a portion of a first major side of the six-sided glass enclosure, at least a portion of a peripheral side of the six-sided glass enclosure, a first region along the peripheral side and having a first thickness, and a second region along the peripheral side and having a second thickness different from the first thickness.

Apple's patent FIGS. 26A to 26C below show an example display component #2600 that may define six display regions #2602-1-2602-6, one region for each side of a six-sided transparent enclosure (e.g., a rectangular prism). In embodiments where an enclosure includes six sides, some sides may not include a display, that corresponding portion of the display component #2600 may be omitted or inoperative.

Apple's patent FIG. 53B below shows an iPhone while it is being flipped by the user. As shown, in response to the detection or prediction that the second major side #5212 of the device #5200 is acting as the “front” of the device (from the user's perspective), the user interface is translating to position the user interface on the second major side #5212 of the device #5200. FIG. 53C shows the iPhone after the user interface has been repositioned in response to the determined orientation (relative to the user or in absolute terms).

Apple patent FIGS. 51A-51B presented above depict another example of an iPhone with imagery on the face display expanding to the backside of this glass iPhone.

Apple's patent FIG. 4E below is a perspective view of a Mac Pro Tower concept #460 having an enclosure #462 in the shape of an octagonal prism. The enclosure may be formed of glass and may be transparent along all or substantially all of the surfaces.

Apple's patent FIG. 57 above illustrates a possible future Apple Watch #5700 that includes an enclosure #5701 formed entirely or substantially entirely of glass.

 Apple also notes that in some cases, the sides of the iPhone will be deformable and/or deflectable in response to an application of a force-based input. For example, the user may be able to squeeze the enclosure and/or press on sides to lower or raise music or content volume.

For full details, review Apple’s granted patent 12265670.  

Today's Granted Design Patents