Apple patent filing becomes public, fuels iPhone 6 speculations

Apple Inc is seeking a patent for an iPhone that has a display that wraps around the edges of the device, expanding the viewable area and eliminating all physical buttons.

The tech world, meanwhile, is abuzz with speculations on what new will Apple's iPhone 6 bring to the market. The patent application, though made in September 2011 but became public only last week, is expected to further fuel the rumours.

Apple Inc's patent filing shows a phone similar to a flattened tube of glass, inside of which a display envelops the chips and circuit board. This allows "functionality to extend to more than one surface of the device," the filing said.

The design also means there's no frame or bezel surrounding the display, meaning it can take up more of the device's surface area.

The patent application reveals that Apple has put some thought into a device that takes advantage of a new generation of displays, which don't have to be flat and rigid like today's liquid-crystal displays, or LCDs.

Apple Inc is known to often file for patents on designs that never come to fruition. It also doesn't comment about future products until it's ready to launch.

At a trade show in January, chief competitor Samsung Electronics Co showed off a prototype phone with a display that is bent around the edges, presenting "virtual buttons" for the user's touch.

With inputs from Associated Press