Apple is looking to up the ante on the design of their Apple Watches and iPhones with a new high-end ceramic finish revealed in patents lodged in the USA.
The US based tech giant has a new patent called “Electronic Devices with Textured Zirconia-Based Components”, which outlines the potential for a new matte finish making use of Zirconia-based ceramic material, which could be found on future Apple Watch and iPhone models .
According to the patent, the design would give “a matte appearance to an exterior surface of an electronic device. The texture of the enclosure component may also be configured so that it has one or more tactile properties suitable for use as a wearable device and can be readily cleaned.”
Alongside improvements in appearance and feel, the new design “may be configured so that the zirconia-based component substantially retains its strength and impact resistance,” as stated in the patent document.
Images suggest that the new Zirconia-Based material would appear on Apple Watches as the side frame that encloses the display, while on an iPhone it might replace the toughened back glass.
In classic Apple fashion, they won’t be the first company to adopt ceramic components, with Samsung having used it in the past. It is usually only featured on high end devices too, which means it may be reserved for the Pro models, which are the only devices in Apple’s range to already have a matte finish on the back.
The patent does not guarantee that Apple will feature Zirconia-based components in new models, and it would be wrong to expect it on the upcoming iPhone 14, but it does prove that the company is at least thinking about implementing an additional touch of luxury to their most premium devices.