Apple developers creating iPhone with ‘disappearing buttons’

Apple may create an iPhone with disappearing buttons, Report informs referring to AppleInsider.

Discovered on the website of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the application describes the creation of gadgets without physical buttons. Instead, Apple engineers have proposed special touch-sensitive control surfaces.

"Disappearing Button or Slider," is a newly-revealed patent application that shows Apple wants to make controls as invisible as lights, when that's the right thing to do.

"In the world of consumer devices, and particularly consumer electronics, there is an ever-present demand for improved appearance, improved functionality, and improved aesthetics," says Apple. "Industrial design has become a highly skilled profession that focuses on fulfilling this need for enhanced consumer product appearance, functionality, and aesthetics."

"Besides the obvious aesthetic advantages of having a seamless design, a seamless design may have improved functionality and/or durability," it says. "For example, a traditional mechanical key pad can wear out over time and/or be ruined by dirt or moisture entering into the openings in the device housing. These openings are necessary to accommodate the traditional keys and buttons."

An important challenge, according to the engineers, is to explain to the user exactly where the touch button is. In this case, the owner of an iPhone or any other gadget without physical buttons will intuitively understand where the controls are located.