“While curved glass enclosures have emerged as a hallmark of Samsung’s latest smartphone designs, it was revealed this week that Apple has also expressed interest in the subject, developing a safer and more cost-effective manufacturing process that would allow the company to create thinner, higher-quality convex enclosure for devices as small as an iPhone but as large as a Thunderbolt display,” Katie Marsal reports for AppleInsider.

“Apple’s patented process hinges on a alignment system that’s configured to move away from the glass as the temperature increases during the slumping process, as opposed to an alignment system that remains affixed to the material throughout the entire process,” Marsal reports. “In this way, the glass is free to bend around the mold without interference — a method Apple says will allow it to produce higher quality, thinner convex glass more safely and cost effectively.”

Much more, including Apple patent application illustrations and diagrams, in the full article here.