United States Patent and Trademark Office granted Apple a patent that describes the new technology implementation buttons on smartphones. Application incorporated in 2013, is called "the opportunity to move to a flexible display iOS-devices".
As conceived by Apple, physical buttons side panels in the next generation iPhone may be replaced by interactive displays with virtual controls. By analogy with the smartphone Samsung, which moves the screen on its side, experts from Cupertino suggest using a flexible LCD panel, the setting on the edge of the casing iPhone.
Apple has considered a successful design with maximum flat faces of the housing. Additional screen placed at least one of the faces of the mobile device can be used to display various information and display controls smartphone or connected devices.
The document notes that the touch panel on the side of iPhone smartphone will bring a number of new features: here can be transferred to some of the functions of applications, operating system element unlock buttons to control music, camera, etc. The innovation promises to relieve the main display on iPhone and make device management more intuitive.The user can cancel the incoming call without taking your phone out of your pocket (in the absence of Apple Watch, of course).
This technology looks very realistic and may appear in the iPhone and iPad in the near future. On the timing of the display at the ends, not reported.