Apple was working on a wraparound curved display iPhone back in 2011

The launch of the next Apple iPhone 7 is still a few months away in September. And like every year, the rumours have started pouring in. But unlike every year, analysts have already begun predicting the 2017 iPhone. And a patent filing that Apple has been granted today could shed more light on this model.

Patently Apple reports that Apple has been granted a patent for what appears to be a wraparound curved display. The device in the picture resembles a smartphone but looks like a concept design that many artists have hinted at in the past. While it may look a bit too futuristic for our time, Apple may be on to something, and this may be in line with what analysts are predicting for the 2017 iPhone.

Recent predictions revealed that Apple will go in for all glass design. This was expected to have a wraparound screen like in the patent shown above, and a flexible OLED display that wrapped around the corners of the device. The patent shows off something similar with no need for any physical volume buttons as the screen would display them on the side when needed. Also hinted by analysts is the missing home button and the use of a ultrasonic sensor for reading fingerprints through metal and glass. While latter may sound too far fetched, Qualcomm already has the technology called Sense ID , and its already available on the LeEco Le Max 2 .

The odd bit about this patent was that it was filed back in 2011; during the time of the 30-pin connector, roughly around the time the iPhone 3Gs was up for sale. Did Apple predict that the trend and technology would arrive within a decade? For now it appears to be that way. Let’s hope that it happens and we have a refreshed iPhone design after years of dealing with metal and glass mix.