The Design of the Original Apple iPhone
This is a design patent protecting the specific visual appearance and physical shape of a portable electronic device, commonly recognized as the iPhone.
Original patent title: “USD670286S1 - Portable display device”
This is a design patent protecting the specific visual appearance and physical shape of a portable electronic device, commonly recognized as the iPhone. Granted to Apple Inc in 2012 with 1 claim and 117 forward citations.
Key facts
Coverage
What does this patent actually cover?
This patent covers the ornamental design of a portable display device. Unlike utility patents that protect how a machine works, this design patentdesign patentCovers the ornamental appearance of a product, not function. 15-year term from grant.Read more → protects the aesthetic choices: the rounded corners, the placement of the screen, the bezel width, and the overall physical form factor. It establishes a legal monopoly over the specific visual look of the device as depicted in the patent drawings. If a competitor creates a device that looks substantially similar to the average observer, it could be considered an infringementinfringementMaking, using, selling, or importing a patented invention without permission from the patent holder.Read more → of this design.
The gap
What does this patent NOT cover?
- Does not cover any internal hardware, circuitry, or software functionality.
- Does not cover the internal operating system or user interface logic.
- Does not cover devices with a different physical shape, such as square-edged or non-rectangular devices.
- Does not cover the utility of the device, such as its ability to make calls or connect to the internet.
These exclusions are unique to PatentBrief — derived from the actual claim language, not patent-office boilerplate.
What made this novel
The cleverness lies in securing legal protection for the 'minimalist' aesthetic, where the device is defined by what is absent—no buttons on the front face, just a clean, uniform display surface.
Schematic visualization of the patent's claim structure. Hand-drawn diagrams in progress for each landmark patent.
Where you've seen this
Real-world examples
Apple iPhone 4
Apple iPhone 4S
Why it matters
The bigger picture
Design patents like this were central to the high-stakes legal battles between Apple and Samsung in the 2010s. By protecting the 'look and feel' of the device, Apple was able to challenge competitors who mimicked the iconic silhouette of the iPhone. It shifted the industry focus toward the importance of industrial design as a core competitive advantage.
Filed
November 23, 2010
Granted
November 6, 2012
Market context
Who's building on this
Companies in this space
Apple continues to refine this design language across its entire product line, including the iPad and subsequent iPhone models. Competitors like Samsung and Google have moved toward their own distinct design languages to avoid infringing on these specific ornamental protections.
Market impact
This patent helped establish the modern smartphone as a luxury design object rather than just a utility tool. It triggered years of litigationlitigationA lawsuit over patent infringement. Litigated patents often signal commercial importance.Read more → that forced manufacturers to differentiate their hardware designs, leading to the diverse range of smartphone shapes and materials we see today.
Claim 1 — Plain English
What this patent covers
This patent covers the ornamental design of a portable display device. Unlike utility patents that protect how a machine works, this design patent protects the aesthetic choices: the rounded corners, the placement of the screen, the bezel width, and the overall physical form factor. It establishes a legal monopoly over the specific visual look of the device as depicted in the patent drawings. If a competitor creates a device that looks substantially similar to the average observer, it could be considered an infringement of this design.
The clever bit
The cleverness lies in securing legal protection for the 'minimalist' aesthetic, where the device is defined by what is absent—no buttons on the front face, just a clean, uniform display surface.
What it does not cover
- Does not cover any internal hardware, circuitry, or software functionality.
- Does not cover the internal operating system or user interface logic.
- Does not cover devices with a different physical shape, such as square-edged or non-rectangular devices.
- Does not cover the utility of the device, such as its ability to make calls or connect to the internet.
Patent timeline
Application submitted to the patent office
Application published, typically 18 months after filing
Patent officially issued
PatentBrief Score
Impact Score
Strong
Citation count
40/40
Highly cited
Claim breadth
1/20
Narrow claimsclaimsThe numbered statements at the end of a patent that legally define what the inventor owns.Read more →
Recency
5/20
Granted 10–20 years ago
Assignee scale
20/20
Major company or institution
PatentBrief Impact Score — based on citation count, claim breadth, recency, and assignee scale. Not a legal assessment.
Heuristic Value Estimate
What this patent might be worth
$210K – $672K
Midpoint $420K · 4.4 yr remaining · industry baseline
Heuristic only — blends forward/backward citation counts, claim scope, time remaining, litigation history, and CPC-derived industry baseline. Real valuations need a professional appraisal.
The original legal language
Original claims
1 claim as filed with the patent office.
Concepts involved
Citations
Patent lineage
Cite this patent
Akana, J., Iuliis, D. D., Jobs, S., Rohrbach, M. D., Zorkendorfer, R., Nishibori, S., Howarth, R. P., Stringer, C. J., Coster, D. J., Whang, E. A., Hankey, E., Ive, J. P., Andre, B. K., Russell-Clarke, P., & Kerr, D. R. (2012). The Design of the Original Apple iPhone (U.S. Patent No. D,670,286). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/D670286/iphone-4-4s-design
Auto-generated from the patent record. Double-check author order and the issue date against the official USPTO document before submitting.
Embed
Add this patent to your site
Drop this plain-English patent card into any blog post or article — free, no signup. It always links back to the full breakdown here.
<div data-patentlens-widget data-patent-number="USD670286"></div> <script src="https://patentbrief.org/embed.js" async></script>
Stay in the loop
Get a weekly digest of new patents.
One email per week. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Keep exploring
Related patents you should know
US 4683195 · 1987
How to Make Billions of Copies of a DNA Segment
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), a method to rapidly create many copies of a specific piece of DNA or RNA, enabling its detection and analysis.
Cetus Corp
US 8697359 · 2014
How to Edit Genes in Human Cells Using an Engineered CRISPR System
This patent describes an engineered CRISPR-Cas9 system for precisely cutting DNA in eukaryotic cells to change how genes work, opening the door for gene editing in complex organisms.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
US 7657849 · 2010
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
Apple's 2010 patent describes unlocking a device by dragging a specific graphical image across the touchscreen along a predefined path, a gesture that became iconic with the original iPhone.
Apple Inc
US 4733665 · 1988
How Doctors Implant a Permanent Stent Using a Balloon
This patent describes the method for placing a permanent, expandable wire mesh tube inside a blood vessel or other body tube using a balloon-tipped catheter to widen it and keep it open.
Expandable Grafts Partnership
US 4965188 · 1990
How to Make Many Copies of a DNA Piece with Heat
This patent describes the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method, a technique to make millions of copies of a specific DNA segment using a heat-resistant enzyme and repeated temperature changes.
Cetus Corp
US 4235871 · 1980
How to Encapsulate Active Materials in Lipid Bubbles Efficiently
This patent describes a method for trapping biologically active substances inside tiny, multi-layered fat bubbles called liposomes, using a specific water-in-oil emulsion and gel-forming process to improve how much material gets captured.
Individual
More to explore
More in Consumer Electronics
US 7657849 · 2010 · Apple Inc
How the iPhone's Slide-to-Unlock Gesture Works
US 7479949 · 2009 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Understand Your Finger Swipes and Scrolls
US 4528643 · 1985 · FPDC Inc
How Stores Make Custom Products On-Demand with Remote Approval
US 7469381 · 2008 · Apple Inc
How Touchscreens Show and Snap Back When You Scroll Past an Edge
New to patents?
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What does The Design of the Original Apple iPhone cover?
This is a design patent protecting the specific visual appearance and physical shape of a portable electronic device, commonly recognized as the iPhone.
Who owns patent US D670286?
Apple Inc owns this patent, granted in 2012.
When does this patent expire?
This patent is expected to expire on November 6, 2032, when the invention enters the public domain.
What is patent US D670286 cited by?
This patent has been cited by 117 later patents that build on its ideas.
What problem does this patent solve?
Design patents like this were central to the high-stakes legal battles between Apple and Samsung in the 2010s. By protecting the 'look and feel' of the device, Apple was able to challenge competitors who mimicked the iconic silhouette of the iPhone. It shifted the industry focus toward the importance of industrial design as a core competitive advantage.
What does this patent NOT cover?
Does not cover any internal hardware, circuitry, or software functionality.
Same assignee
More from Apple Inc
Patent monitoring