Apple will use a stronger glass design for iPhone and iPad

From Apple’s patent application from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Apple plans to use a “hardened” cover glass design for the iPhone and iPad. The patent describes the invention of a glass that can be used to provide an additional protective layer on the screen or body of an electronic device. In theory, this glass can make the equipment more durable and have higher crack resistance than existing (backshell and screen) glasses.

Apple claims that it may be a “ribbed” design, which means that the protective layer can be designed as a crossover line with glass fibers, thereby strengthening the strength of the glass and preventing cracking.

The patent also describes how to use a sapphire coating to increase strength. Apple uses sapphire on the iPhone lens cover and Apple Watch, but today’s patent is about how to use the sapphire layer as cover glass on other devices and provide “sufficient stiffness.”
Apple’s engineering design team has conducted extensive research on glass design over the years, and today’s patents may be just some of the work results. Whether or not a patent can eventually be converted into a product is still unknown, but Apple is clearly exploring ways to make its products more durable.