Apple Granted Patent for Liquidmetal Home Button on iOS Devices

[kdarling]

I don't think chunks of metal are supposed to look that delicious.

They don't. That image is something made up. It's not a natural look or behavior.

Liquid Metal usually looks more like a satin pewter when it's released from a mold, and is often left pretty much that way because it has the best corrosion resistance if left unpolished. To make it shiny, it has to be blast finished.

It should also really be called "plastic metal" or "metallic glass" or something, but those terms don't sound anywhere near as cool as "Liquid Metal"

 

[Thunderhawks]

Should've read the thread first

Samsung already had been using Liquid Metal in their phones from 2002 to 2010, when Apple bought an exclusive and locked everyone else out.

For similar reasons why Apple later looked at it for the Home button, Samsung had used it for pieces like hinges and bezels to provide strength and resistance to dents and corrosion.

Both Vertu and Samsung had also made luxury phone chassis from Liquid Metal. (Vertu's model even had a sapphire screen.) Vertu has since switched to titanium, I believe.

View attachment 620239

2008 Samsung Ego phone with Liquid Metal chassis

Thank you, never too late to learn stuff

 

[jonnysods]

Liquidmetal: A solution looking for a problem.

Haha, that's exactly what I was thinking. Are they going to wrap the whole iPhone in aluminum or something? What was wrong with laser etched glass/sapphire/time travel crystals?

 

[clayek]

The comment section is depressing.

This patent is for the mechanism under the home button. For all I know it could already be integrated into current generation iPhone already.

Yeah, people seem to be missing that important bit of information, although it's not really clear in the article unless you read closely what they are saying. The liquid metal would be hidden inside of the button mechanism and not visible on the surface.

 

[Munchiemonster]

"It does not appear that Apple's upcoming products, including the rumored iPhone SE, iPhone 7, and new 9.7-inch iPad Pro, will adopt Liquidmetal,"

Actually, in the iPhone 6, liquidmetal is currently used not only in the Sim card eject tool but it's also used for the

- Apple logo
- ring surrounding the home button
- ring surrounding the lightning port
- the 2 Screws on the bottom of the phone

 

[Vanilla35]

You're talking about 3D Touch, which not everyone can really use.

Very good point. That pretty much guarantees that apple will take the home button out of the iPhone starting with the iPhone 8, when the 6S (3D touch enabled) becomes the bargain base iPhone. That way all iPhones will have 3D touch, and they'll have the ability to remove the home button.

Seems so far away though. Ugh, I was really hoping they would shrink the phone with the iPhone 7. I'm probably gonna switch to android for a couple years (I don't confine myself to any ecosystem), cus the iPhone design just isn't doing it for me.

 

[kdarling]

Actually, in the iPhone 6, liquidmetal is currently used not only in the Sim card eject tool but it's also used for the
- Apple logo
- ring surrounding the home button
- ring surrounding the lightning port
- the 2 Screws on the bottom of the phone

The logo and the home button ring are known to be stainless steel. It's highly likely that the other parts are stainless steel as well.

The idea that they were Liquid Metal was simply a rumor someone made up... probably someone who mistakenly thinks LM is naturally shiny. The rumor was widely repeated, so it's not your fault for believing it.

 

[AVEGA]

Will this help with Touch ID and make it more fool proof?

 

[Michael Goff]

Very good point. That pretty much guarantees that apple will take the home button out of the iPhone starting with the iPhone 8, when the 6S (3D touch enabled) becomes the bargain base iPhone. That way all iPhones will have 3D touch, and they'll have the ability to remove the home button.

Seems so far away though. Ugh, I was really hoping they would shrink the phone with the iPhone 7. I'm probably gonna switch to android for a couple years (I don't confine myself to any ecosystem), cus the iPhone design just isn't doing it for me.

The best you'll probably get is Home Button on the back like LG.

 

[Vanilla35]

The best you'll probably get is Home Button on the back like LG.

That would be awful. They would put it in the screen way before they put it on the back. Why do you not have faith with the in-screen implementation? They already have patents for it.

 

[Michael Goff]

That would be awful. They would put it in the screen way before they put it on the back. Why do you not have faith with the in-screen implementation? They already have patents for it.

Because I've seen the type of people who can and can't use the types of things that have been patented. I'm much more in favor of a slightly worse looking but better to use phone than making it shorter and cutting out users.

 

[BeanieMan]

like a lot of academic research, it seems like a solution looking for a problem...

 

[PaulRustad007]

If only the home button is integrated on to the screen itself, the size of the devices would shrink, and I for one would be definitely getting the Plus/Pro devices then!

Oh the future looks promising, unless it's going to kill me by sending a terminator.

View attachment 620209

I was waiting for the Terminator post.....thank you very very much!

 

[Vanilla35]

Because I've seen the type of people who can and can't use the types of things that have been patented. I'm much more in favor of a slightly worse looking but better to use phone than making it shorter and cutting out users.

Oh I see what you're saying, yeah that's technically true. I'm not sure what they would do there, but I'm fairly certain they would make that sacrifice. There are ways to ensure it'll still work for those with disabilities or blindness. Double tap to wake, then hold finger print to scan? There are ways around not having a physical clicking button to locate.

 

[Michael Goff]

Oh I see what you're saying, yeah that's technically true. I'm not sure what they would do there, but I'm fairly certain they would make that sacrifice. There are ways to ensure it'll still work for those with disabilities or blindness. Double tap to wake, then hold finger print to scan? There are ways around not having a physical clicking button to locate.

And most of the ways around them are not as convienent. I seriously question why the Home Button needs to be removed in the first place. This is likely something we aren't going to come to an agreement about. I find removing Home Button as a bad design that is less convienent just to make it look (subjectively) better.

This is my personal philosophical line in the sand. I can only hope Apple agrees with me on this one.

 

[PBRsg]

Yes that home button should go

Using an OLED screen that wraps around without bezels and the home button (including the fingerprint scanner) hidden under the screen - one smooth slab of black glass. That would be Apple-worthy design.
[doublepost=1457507272][/doublepost]

Why remove something functionally useful?

More screen for a smaller size + smoother look.

 

[Michael Goff]

Using an OLED screen that wraps around without bezels and the home button (including the fingerprint scanner) hidden under the screen - one smooth slab of black glass. That would be Apple-worthy design.
[doublepost=1457507272][/doublepost]

More screen for a smaller size + smoother look.

Okay. But what good reason?

 

[Tech198]

High strength ? Apple must have got some surprising repairs to warrant this, with fault home buttons.

There's a reason for everything..Usually a "better" one than "because we want to"

 

[cmichaelb]

Not for your fault for repeating it, but that was an internet myth. Liquid Metal is conductive and so of course interferes with radio signals.

The myth arose when one of the inventors commented that an phone case made of LM could be used as an antenna itself, and some readers totally misunderstood what he meant.



It's been used in mass consumer products (Samsung used it for years in their own phones) for relatively small parts, and even in low quantity luxury phones for much larger parts, but not as a major component in anything mass consumer. It's still cost prohibitive to do that.



Both correct.

Thanks for the info!

 

[cruggles]

"It does not appear that Apple's upcoming products, including the rumored iPhone SE, iPhone 7, and new 9.7-inch iPad Pro, will adopt Liquidmetal,"

Actually, in the iPhone 6, liquidmetal is currently used not only in the Sim card eject tool but it's also used for the

- Apple logo
- ring surrounding the home button
- ring surrounding the lightning port
- the 2 Screws on the bottom of the phone

According to Wikipedia, liquidmetal was used for "the SIM ejector tool of some iPhone 3Gs made by Apple Inc., shipped in the US. This was done by Apple as an exercise to test the viability of usage of the metal."

No mention of it being used for anything else you have claimed.

 

[Vanilla35]

And most of the ways around them are not as convienent. I seriously question why the Home Button needs to be removed in the first place. This is likely something we aren't going to come to an agreement about. I find removing Home Button as a bad design that is less convienent just to make it look (subjectively) better.

This is my personal philosophical line in the sand. I can only hope Apple agrees with me on this one.

The questioning that needs to be done is the huge inconvenience having a bigger phone is than having a smaller one. People want a smaller form factor in the iPhone 6/6S. Cutting the home button does that for them. The Moto X (2014) fits a 5.2" screen in pretty much the same form factor. If you consider that that phone is a little bit wider, then you could say 5.0" screen in the same form factor. That's huge to people. The iPhone 6S+ with its 5.5" phone is the same dimensions as 5.8" and 6" phones from other manufacturers.

That is another side's opinion on the topic, but either way I don't think apple will agree with you on it. 1) Innovation will occur when it does. 2) It's not that much of a loss, for the majority of people.

 

[inkswamp]

"Oh my god, Apple is trying to patent Liquidmetal!"

"Oh my god, Apple is trying to patent buttons!"

"Oh my god, Apple is trying to claim they invented Liquidmetal!"

"Oh my god, Apple is trying to claim they invented buttons!"

"Oh my god, Apple is trying to patent circles!"

"Oh my god, Apple is trying to claim they invented circles!"

"Oh my god, Apple is trying to patent round things!"

Did I miss any overreactions or does that cover them?

 

[pat500000]

I'll be suing apple if my iphone turns into T-1000.

 

[kdarling]

"Oh my god, Apple is trying to patent Liquidmetal!"
... (etc)
Did I miss any overreactions or does that cover them?

Actually, the thread has mostly been about whether or not Apple should keep a physical Home button.

 

[Munchiemonster]

According to Wikipedia, liquidmetal was used for "the SIM ejector tool of some iPhone 3Gs made by Apple Inc., shipped in the US. This was done by Apple as an exercise to test the viability of usage of the metal."

No mention of it being used for anything else you have claimed.

...And you won't hear it being mentioned anywhere, either. It's not public information.