Apple Rumored to Be Working on an All-Glass Apple Watch
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An iPhone made entirely of glass isn’t just the stuff of sci-fi; it’s one of Apple’s loftiest design ambitions. Apple’s former Chief Design Officer, Jony Ive, long pined for an iPhone that would be sculpted from a single piece of glass — one that wouldn’t just feature slim bezels but no bezels at all.
Sadly, like Apple Glasses, it seems the technology to realize that dream isn’t ready yet. However, a new rumor suggests that Apple may start smaller by focusing on making a future Apple Watch entirely out of glass.
A new post from Weibo leaker Setsuna Digital (aka Instant Digital) suggests that Apple is developing an all-glass Apple Watch that could replace, or at least supplement, the traditional button and Digital Crown with a touch-sensitive glass frame.
Like most such claims, there’s little evidence to back this up, and they don’t even say if it’s based on reliable sources or merely “thinking out loud” speculation. Nevertheless, Setsuna Digital has a pretty good track record: they nailed the iPhone 16 Camera Capture button and 48-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, the matte display option on the M4 iPad Pro, the yellow iPhone 14, and the minimal changes in the USB-C AirPods Max.
They’ve had a few misses, but those have mostly been around timing. For instance, they predicted USB-C Mac accessories in early 2024 and an iPad event in March 2024. Those things eventually came to pass, but not when Setsuna Digital said they would.
However, this latest report has no timing attached, and it’s also backed up by several Apple patents we’ve seen over the years — including one published this week by Erik de Jong, Apple Watch Product Design Lead, that sounds very similar to what Setsuna Digital posted, as described by Patently Apple:
Today the U.S. Patent Office published a patent application of Apple’s that relates to a proposed glass shell Apple Watch with illuminated side controls with variable interfaces to control music, to act as a stop watch and to add biometric sensors.
The patent is so similar that it may be where the Weibo leaker got their information. Apple patents a great many things that never see the light of day, and while patents covering all-glass designs go back to at least 2020, this one might indicate that Apple is getting more serious about the idea.
To be clear, both Setsuna Digital and the patents in question discuss a design where Apple would eliminate all exterior aluminum, stainless steel, or titanium surfaces in favor of a single piece of glass. The front of the Apple Watch already uses either Ion-X or Sapphire Glass, depending on the model, and ceramic is used on the back of all of them except for the Apple Watch SE.
This most recent patent suggests that front screen glass could extend to the sides, potentially allowing for a display that spills over to the edges. The rear of the Apple Watch would likely still be a separate piece of ceramic due to how that interacts with the skin and the sensors, but the transition between the two could be moved “further towards the rear of the watch,” Patently Apple notes, providing a “less distracting, more attractive aesthetic appearance.”
The lack of a seam between the front glass and metallic sides could also improve water resistance, especially if Apple moves away from mechanical controls in favor of touch-sensitive ones.
The design is also interesting in light of other reports we’ve recently heard about Apple’s future ambitions. If Apple does add a camera to the Apple Watch for AI image recognition, all-glasses sides could provide a more effective way to allow it to “see” the world around you. Apple may also use the more premium design to distinguish its mainstream Apple Watch from the Apple Watch SE, which may not get the rumored plastic design.
In this scenario, the Apple Watch SE would retain the same aluminum casing it does now, while a future Apple Watch Series model would adopt the more elegant all-glass style. The Apple Watch Ultra would likely stick with its rugged titanium style either way.
All these reports need to be taken with the usual dose of salt, especially since they’re talking about longer-term plans. We have little doubt that Apple is working on an all-glass Apple Watch, but when (or if) it will ever be able to make that happen remains an open question.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
