APPLE'S IPHONE 7 SET TO FEATURE CURVED GLASS LIQUID METAL

Apple's next iPhone will be cased in curved glass made from liquid metal, according to insiders.

An analysts advising Apple investors claims the iPhone 7 will have a smooth comfortable grip made of glass. 

The news comes two months after the tech firm revisited a patent filed in 2013, which proposed a curved 'glass' case made from an intricate fusion of metals melted together.

The design - made from Bulk Amorphous Alloy, which is a mix of titanium, nickel, copper and zirconium melted together - is said to have the smooth texture of glass and the rigid sturdiness of rubber. 

It was first floated in a patent application filed by Apple in 2013. And yet, despite widespread excitement over the unique design, it still hasn't reached the general public.

But now Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at KGI Securities who has a track record of accurately predicting Apple's next steps, has told investors the curved glass case will be brought out for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. 

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If Mr Kuo's claims are true, Apple's next-generation handset would be on a par with the 6.1mm iPod touch (pictured left with measurements pictured right).  The iPod touch's screen is smaller than the iPhones, at 4-inches, and doesn't take a SIM card meaning it can be thinner because it needs fewer internal components

HOW WOULD APPLE MAKE ITS CURVED GLASS CASE? 

The firm filed a patent in 2013 for a curved glass phone case made from liquidmetal. 

Liquidmetal is a mix of titanium, nickel, copper and zirconium among other metals making it tough, light and scratch resistant. It also feels as smooth as glass.

It is a slow cooling alloy which means it can be moulded more easily than steel or aluminium, and is more hard wearing.

The patents detail a process that involves injection moulding and 3D printing using bulk metallic glasses (BMG) powder - another name for liquidmetal.

Layers of BMG could be printed using a 3D printer to create the casing for phones, tablets and even TVs. 

It is three months until specific details are released. But Kuo's note to investors, obtained by AppleInsider, has sent a buzz through the tech industry.

Liquid metal is a slow cooling alloy which means it can be moulded more easily than steel or aluminium, for example, and is more hard wearing.

With 3D printing, this three-year-old design is now a much more realistic prospect.  

The design will be similar to the iPhone 5s's 'glass sandwich', but with curved glass on both sides, insiders predict.

Kuo claims the iPhone 7, which is unlikely to launch until at least September 2016, will be the firm's thinnest handset to date at just 6mm thick.

This would put on a par with the iPod touch, and would be almost a millimetre thinner than the current iPhone 6. 

Apple's original iPhone, released in 2007, was 12.3mm thick. By comparison the current iPhone 6 is 6.9mm thick, while the larger iPhone 6 Plus is 7.1mm. 

These devices are noticeably thinner than the iPhone 5S, which measures 7.6mm. 

However, thinner devices are potentially more vulnerable to being broken and the iPhone 6 Plus, for example, was criticised for bending in the pockets of its owners due to its larger, thinner design.  

The iPod touch is 6.1mm thick, but its screen is smaller than the iPhones - at just 4-inches. 

It doesn't take a SIM card, meaning it can be thinner because it needs fewer internal components as the iPhone.

If Mr Kuo's claims are true, Apple's next-generation handset would be its thinnest yet, but it would still be significantly thicker than the thinnest phone in the world - Vivo's X5 Max.