Apple's next iPhone could be made of one solid piece of glass

<p>The company was this week awarded a
patent that would allow it to produce
most of its devices including phones and
iPads from <b>fused glass sheets</b>.ie <b>sapphire</b>
It would be a massive break from
anything ever done before, allowing for a
lightweight device with obvious
implications for the way pictures and
moving images could be displayed.
The company is keeping tight-lipped
about its plans after applying for the glass
patent in 2012 but only getting it awarded
this week.
The iPhone 4 and 4s featured glass front
and back panels with metallic edges while
the iPhone 5 and 5s were the opposite
and built of metal with glass panels.
Meanwhile the current iPhone 5c is in a
plastic shell.
The patent for the new design suggests the
company wants to fuse sheets of glass
together to make a lightweight but
shatterproof device without any visible
seams.
Spaces for buttons, ports, and any future
versions of Apple’s fingerprints scanner
would then be carved out of the glass.
Experts say the devices could be an
instant hit for novelty value alone.</p>