Apple iTV teased with new patent filing
A newly uncovered Apple patent suggests that the Cupertino iPhone makers still haven’t forgotten about their living room aspirations, revealing a design that looks very much like the oft-rumoured Apple iTV.
Spotted by trademark spotters Patently Apple, the filing describes a fused glass back process for housing screen tech, not unlike that already employed in the iPhone 4S, and expected to feature again in future iPhone and iPod models.
Here though, the reference is specifically made to a television set.
Jony Ive and his team are listed as the patents creators, suggesting the hardware whizz is spreading his wings to living room devices as well as those that sit in your pocket or on your desk.
It’s interesting to see Apple seemingly rolling back to a design used in an earlier iPhone handset rather than the iPhone 5 however (or whatever the iPhone 5S turns out to be) suggesting that this may now be an outdated patent. Though a glass-backed screen sounds attractive, experience with the design in iPhone handsets suggests its also weak and prone to smashing. Though a static device like TV shouldn’t be as prone to drops and bumps as an on-the-go mobile, we’d hope that Apple have given the glass a bit of a toughening up before popping it into any possible TV set, especially considering how expensive it’s likely to be.
As either, there’s no official word from Apple regarding the patent, but we’ll keep you posted should Apple ever get round to lifting the lid on their TV aspirations.
