Apple has filed for a new patent titled “cosmetically uniform reflective border area in a transflective display,” relating to liquid crystal displays with a reflective border area when the display is turned off.
“One embodiment of the present invention provides a transflective display in which a border area adjacent to an active area has a reflectivity that is substantially the same as the active area when the display is turned off. This display includes a polarizer layer, a color filter glass (CFG) layer, a liquid crystal layer, and a reflector layer. The CFG layer contains color filters in the active area, while the border area of the CFG layer is designed to have a reflectivity that is substantially the same as the active area when the display is turned off.”
So basically… when the device is off, it looks opaque or solid. When the display comes on, it appears to shine through the once solid enclosure. If you’re still confused - it’s like the Sony A1000 walkman. It looks like there is no screen when the device is off and then voila - the screen appears when you turn it on. Like magic, eh!
