1. Home
  2. Computing

Apple’s idea for a futuristic, curved iMac is not at all what you’d expect

By

Curved screens have become commonplace in monitors these days, but this wild iMac concept takes the curve in a completely different direction.

Apple just received approval for a series of patents for potential iMac products that reveal a new vision for the future of the iMac, including a screen that curves along the bottom instead of the sides as shown in a concept rendering by Yanko Design (below).

Recommended Videos

This concept has an all-glass body and an integrated keyboard. As opposed to the iMac we have today, where the display and the stand are distinct components, the patent envisions the machine with an all-glass housing consisting of a continuous surface. The illustrations reveal a seamlessly flowing shape defined by the upper portion, lower portion, and the portion where it transitions.
In early 2020, Apple applied for a patent for a modular iMac with a curved glass display. Today, the patent has been granted.

There is another variant shown in the patents that reveals more or less the same shape in general, but instead of acting as an iMac, the company plans on making it function as a display where a MacBook could dock. Patents reveal that this design would also be foldable, which means it would feature the option to be stowed away for easy portability. This imagines a future where people would be able to take a large MacBook display with them anywhere they go.

However, we must remind ourselves that all we know at the moment is from patents that have been released. Patents are not confirmation that a product is necessarily launching. In 2021, there have been Apple patents for a MacBook with no keyboard, an Apple Watch that tracks people’s hydration levels, and an iPhone that functions by blowing on it. Needless to say, we haven’t seen any of these products come to life yet.

Even if the recently approved patents come to life, it’s important to mention that they most probably aren’t going to be released anytime soon. Apple redesigned the 24-inch iMac just a few months ago. Considering that its last design was in circulation for 14 years, chances are that the current design will be here for a while.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Dua Rashid
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Dua is a media studies graduate student at The New School. She has been hooked on technology since she was a kid and used to…
Which color MacBook should you buy? Here’s how to pick

Apple’s MacBook laptops come in a range of colors, and selecting which is right for you can be a tricky business. Sure, it’s perhaps not as important as deciding which chip to pick or how much memory you should buy, but it’s still a vital part of the equation. After all, you’re going to see that color every time you reach for your MacBook. You don’t want it to be something that fills you with regret.

But how should you pick a MacBook color? And what do the colors even look like in the first place? We’ve got the answers to those questions in this guide. We’d also advise you to go to an Apple Store to take a look at the MacBook colors in person, as some can be hard to appreciate just by browsing Apple’s website.

Read more
Why you should buy a MacBook Air instead of a MacBook Pro

The MacBook Air has officially caught up. Now with the M3 on board, the MacBook Air has gained the benefits of the new chip, which was previously available just on the MacBook Pro and iMac.

Choosing between the M3 15-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro is tough, and requires an in-depth look at differences in ports, displays, speakers, and more. It's a legitimately hard decision to make.

Read more
The MacBook Air 15 vs. MacBook Pro 14: the easy way to decide

Picking out a new MacBook isn't as easy as it used to be.

The hardest choice in the lineup might be between the 15-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro. Both are now offered with the same M3 chip, despite there being a $300 difference in the base models. But when similarly configured, there's actually only a $100 difference between these two laptops.

Read more