Apple’s battle against smudges and fingerprints began in earnest with the iPhone 3GS but the oleophobic coating it currently applies to iOS devices wears off in time. That could be set to change though thanks to a new and improved process outlined in a new Apple patent filing.
While Apple patents often come to nothing or relate to developments that are years away, the fact that this one describes an improvement to something the company is already doing warrants closer inspection. The document was filed in February 2011 and could mean the first truly smudgeproof iPhone will be the iPhone 5. Read on for details of how Apple plans to fight fingerprints in the future…
The current method used by Apple to apply the oleophobic coating to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch involves placing pellets of the material in a chamber with the glass and superheating them. The pellets vaporise and coat the glass. While that works, it’s inefficient with the potential for the material to be contaminated and heating to limit the effectiveness of the coating.
Apple’s patent filing describes a new process which keeps the oleophobic ingredient in a pressurised chamber with an inert gas. The approach reduces the risk of undesirable chemical reactions between the coating and the air and would allow Apple to spray the coating directly onto the glass.
The patent application suggests that the new approach would allow Apple to produce future iOS devices with oleophobic coatings that will reject oil for longer than the current models. With the iPhone 5 just on the horizon, don’t be surprised to find Apple boasting about its smudge-free screen at the launch.
Out TBC | £TBC | Apple (via Apple Patent)
