It's been established for a little while now that the next iPhone, the iPhone 8, as it may be called, will have at least one high-end variant equipped with an edge-to-edge, wrap-around curved OLED display. And it goes without saying that this will be similar in style to Samsung's Galaxy EDGE curved OLED design, which brings the display curving round the edges of two sides of the phone. Samsung has been using this design for a couple of generations now, but although there is some functionality built-in, it is primarily an aesthetic design feature.

Make no mistake: this is Apple blatantly following Samsung’s lead, just as it did with the Apple Pencil, but that’s no bad thing. If something’s a good idea or looks good then it’s fair game – at least in my book. But will Apple’s rendition differ from Samsung’s? A freshly unearthed patent filed on May 19 2016 by the iPhone maker would appear to confirm it has bigger plans for this feature than Samsung – with some new functional capabilities detailed.

Apple Insider picked up the patent details, with the patent filing being titled "Electronic Devices With Display and Touch Sensor Structures". As expected, the design described has a flexible OLED display panel which curves around both lateral edges of the device, the patent explains this curved surface could display information, as it does on Samsung's devices.

However, it goes on to add an explanation for functional touch features as well. 

It can be challenging to gather touch input from a user and to display images for a user efficiently."

"For example, when a user supplies touch input to a touch screen display, the user’s hand may block images that are being displayed on the display. Buttons and other input devices may be used to gather input from a user, but this type of input device may not be as convenient and versatile as a touch sensor. Displays are sometimes not visible from certain directions and may be smaller than desired."

Apple details a possible idea for virtual control keys embedded in the curved display edges, some examples would be the volume rocker, mute key, and standby mode, but there are numerous other functions which could also be assigned their own software key. Even application shortcuts are plausible.

"Touch input on sidewalls in device 10 may be used as a control for a camera (e.g., a virtual shutter button input), may be used as input in other virtual button scenarios, may be used in implementing a volume slider button or a slider button for controlling other device operations (e.g., screen brightness, color settings, contrast settings, etc.)"

Note that this concept has been entertained in the past, though one criticism is the implementation of control keys on a curved edge surface, however, the patent explains that the wrap-around edges do not necessarily need to be curved; the OLED panel and covering glass could be a number of shapes, potentially squared-off would make grip and control of these software keys easier, though would detract from the alleged "curved glass" aesthetic Apple is apparently going for.

The patent also hints at materials we've previously heard mentioned for this kind of hardware, including Zirconia ceramic and Sapphire glass.