Curved battery patents hint a thinner iPhone is on the way
Apple has filed two patents for curved batteries, which would help slim its devices down.
The next iPhone could be slimmer than the current model, if a couple of Apple's patent filings are anything to go by. The patents were filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office, and are for "Curved battery cells" and "Non-rectangular batteries" both for portable electronic devices, AppleInsider reports.
One of the designs features a curve reminiscent of the chin on the HTC One V, but of course it'll sit inside the device, helping make it thinner. Not that the iPhone is exactly fat as it is.
So how does a curved battery help slim down a device? It's all about making the most of all the available space inside. The 'chinny' design isn't finalised, as according to the filing, "the curve may be formed at one or more ends of the battery cell to allow the battery cell to occupy a curved and/or rounded space within the enclosure of a laptop computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), digital camera, portable media player, and/or other type of battery-powered electronic device."
In other words, we could see the same curved battery used in the iPad, MacBook Pro, and -- yes -- even Apple's much rumoured iWatch.
Both patents were filed all the way back in October 2011, but these things always take a while to be uncovered, and even longer to be put into practice. Apple previously patented a wrap-around display, prompting rumours the next iPhone would feature a curved screen.
A cheaper iPhone is said to be on the cards for this summer, with the iPhone 6 rumoured for the autumn, which would be in-keeping with Apple's current release schedule.
Do you think Apple's devices will get much thinner? What would you like to see from the next iPhone? Let me know in the comments, or on our Facebook page.