Apple fan’s video suggests transparent iPhone

Apple fan’s video suggests transparent iPhone

Is such a device plausible, or even desirable?

BY BEN STRACK

A video with over 8 million views on YouTube, made by Apple fan Dakota Adney, showcases the iPhone 5 with a seemingly incredible feature — a see-through screen.

Actual video of the transparent iPhone below:

The Internet has been buzzing in response to the clip about the possibility of an iPhone with this so-called “iClear Retina Display.”

The idea is a fascinating concept, but how useful would it actually be?

Transparent screen

The iPhone 5 was released on September 21 and — obviously — it did not include the transparent screen shown in the video. It was then understood by the public that the short clip was only meant to display the possibilities of future iPhones.

But why should this feature be so desirable? Perhaps it shouldn’t be.

After a user’s awe subsides, they’d have a phone with potential issues. First of all, as your background and lighting constantly change wherever you go — such transparency would make it quite difficult to read text on the screen.

Also, a clear device would lack durability. One drop and your translucent toy could shatter. Of course, you could buy a case, but that would have to be clear as well.

Last — where would the battery even go?

Stanford scientists and their transparent batteries

About a year ago, scientists at Stanford University invented a transparent lithium-ion battery. This would seem to make a clear iPhone very plausible.

But not all components of a battery can yet be made transparent. That’s where the innovative minds at Stanford got to work, devising a system to make the solid parts so small that they cannot be seen by the naked eye.

Their process includes the creation of a mesh-like grid of battery electrodes with lines measuring just 35 microns wide. Since the maximum resolving power of the human eye is between 50 and 100 microns, the meshwork appears perfectly clear (according to Stanford graduate student Yuan Yang).

Stanford’s flexible, translucent battery opens up the possibility of a see-through iPhone.

Even better — the whole process seems to be low-cost, available at a price similar to regular batteries.

Now, before we all get too excited about this technology, it should be noted that the battery still needs some time to develop, as it is only about half as powerful as regular lithium-batteries its size.

New features of the iPhone 5

While a transparent screen might still be a way’s away, the present-day model does have many other upgrades worth pointing out.

Notable features include:

• A 4” retina display that is taller than the last iPhone, but the same width to maintain comfortable one-hand usage.

• 18% thinner (7.6mm) and 20% lighter (112g) frame than the iPhone 4S.

• LTE technology that boosts the speed of downloads and enhances network connectivity.

• The new A6 chip which enables performance speeds up to twice as fast as the previous generation.

The iPhone 5 (right) is taller, thinner and lighter than its predecessor iPhone 4S (left).

Innovation at its best

Apple has proven for decades that not only can the company develop useful and innovative products, but they can continue to improve upon their technology for years on end. It seems there is no limit to what they can achieve as we look ahead.

For that reason, even a skeptic of something like a transparent screen — like myself — may just have to eventually concede that Apple will always find a way to make it work. ■