Apple iPhone 12 Might Be ‘Cooler’ Because Of Its New Casing

Apple's new patent revealed its plans to create a new casing that will enable future iPhones, such as the iPhone 12, to stay “cool” to the touch even when its inner components are already producing heat.

Everyone who uses smartphones today know how it feels to have a device that's hot to the touch. This normally happens when the components inside the device produce certain amounts of heat from working too much. Users will note that this usually happens when the device is plugged in and charging, or when it is actively looking for cellular signals in a remote area.

Apple noticed this problem and decided to work on a solution that it might introduce with the iPhone 12. According to Patently Apple, a patent application published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office reveals that the Cupertino tech giant is working on a new type of casing that will enable device components to stay “cooler” even when the components keep producing heat.

The patent describes new casings or enclosures that can “include metal bands along the enclosure and a support structure.” This enclosure is designed in such a way that the heat generated by the device's internal components can be directed away from other components that might be at risk of overheating, as well as the casing itself, so that the device will stay cool inside and to the touch.

In the patent, Apple noted that iPhones can get hot and prematurely fail due to a few factors. First, the internal components embedded within each device produces heat; second, the small iPhone cavity prevents this heat from escaping; third, the materials used to make the casings, when combined with the small cavity,, can result heat buildup, which ultimately results in overheating and failing.

In order to address the issue, Apple has designed a new casing that features a support structure with a “thermally conductive core” that can conduct the thermal energy (heat) produced by the internal components away from the components and the casing. This results in less heat buildup, and a cooler casing that's comfortable to hold even when the device is in active use.

Although the technology is interesting, the timing to market remains unknown at the moment. Apple hasn't said anything about it in public yet. Stay tuned for details as they come.