When is Apple coming out with a flip version of the iPhone? Unwired View created some nice Photoshop images of what an iFlipPhone might look like based on what it claims is a recent Apple patent application for a “dual-sided trackpad.” It would help if Unwired View linked to the actual patent application, which I was unable to find on the US Patent Office Website (although, I gave up after about 15 minutes. If someone finds it please share the link or patent number in comments below). The patent supposedly describes a semi-transparent panel that can flip open, allowing either side to be used as a multitouch trackpad. Polarized keypad numbers might appear on the inside when you open up the clamshell, but when you close it, you would see through to the inside screen.
As with all Apple patents, just because somebody dreamed this up in Cupertino does not mean it will ever make it into a product. There is also the possibility that this is a hoax. (Is it even possible to make a touchpad that is transparent? I don’t know). But even if it is, doesn’t it make you want a clamshell iPhone?
Update: The patent is not a hoax. Unwired View coughed up the link in comments (thanks). It was filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization, not the USPTO, which is why I was unable to find it. Bring on those translucent touchpads!