Apple patents iPhone with wraparound display

Apple Inc.’s patent filing shows a phone similar to a flattened tube of glass, inside of which a display envelops the chips and circuit board. This allows “functionality to extend to more than one surface of the device,” the filing said.

The design also means there’s no frame or bezel surrounding the display, meaning it can take up more of the device’s surface area.

The company filed for the patent in September 2011, though the application became public only Thursday. Like others, Apple often files for patents on designs that never come to fruition. It also doesn’t comment about future products until it’s ready to launch.

The Patently Apple blog wrote about the filing earlier.