Handheld electronic equipment

Abstract

A handheld electronic device is provided. A portable electronic device may include a housing, a front cover, and a rear cover coupled to the housing. The back cover may define a first portion of a back outer surface of the portable electronic device, a projection defining a raised sensor array region of the back cover and a second portion of the back outer surface of the portable electronic device, a microphone port defined through the back cover, a first camera aperture defined through the projection, and a second camera aperture defined through the projection. And a second camera hole defined through the protrusion. The portable electronic device may further include: a camera assembly including a first lens assembly and a second lens assembly; and a microphone module coupled to the back cover along an inner surface of the back cover and acoustically coupled to the microphone port, at least a portion of the microphone module positioned outside the raised sensor array area.

Description

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications

[0002] This application is a non - provisional patent application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 623,200, filed on January 19, 2024, and entitled "Handheld Electronic Device", and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 685,221, filed on August 20, 2024, and entitled "Handheld Electronic Device". The disclosures of these two provisional applications are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties. Technical Field

[0003] The subject matter of the present disclosure generally relates to handheld electronic devices, and more particularly to mobile phones. Background Art

[0004] Modern consumer electronic devices come in a variety of shapes and forms and have a variety of uses and functions. For example, a smartphone provides users with various ways to interact with others outside the range of telephone communication. Such devices may include many systems that facilitate such interactions. For example, a smartphone may include a touch - sensitive display for providing graphical output and for receiving touch inputs, a wireless communication system for connecting to other devices to send and receive voice and data content, a camera for capturing photos and videos, etc. However, integrating these subsystems into a compact and reliable product that can withstand daily use presents various technical challenges. The systems and techniques described herein can address most of these challenges while providing a device with many different functions. Summary of the Invention

[0005] An electronic device may include a housing that includes: a front cover that defines a front portion of the electronic device; and an outer housing member that is coupled to the front cover and defines a side portion of the electronic device. The electronic device may further include an input structure that is positioned along a side of the electronic device and is configured to receive a force input, the input structure including a button member and a touch sensing element coupled to the button member. The input structure may further include: a beam structure at least partially disposed within the housing that is configured to be deflected due to the force input; a strain sensing element coupled to the beam structure; and a dome switch configured to collapse in response to a force input that meets a first force threshold. The electronic device may further include a processing system operatively coupled to the touch sensing element, the strain sensing element, and the dome switch, and configured to: determine, at least in part, a location of the force input on the input structure based on a first signal from the touch sensing element; cause the electronic device to perform a first operation in response to detecting that the force input meets a second force threshold that is less than the first force threshold, at least in part based on a second signal from the strain sensing element; and cause the electronic device to perform a second operation different from the first operation in response to detecting the collapse of the dome switch. The touch sensing element may include a linear array of touch sensing pixels.

[0006] The electronic device may further include a haptic actuation system. The processing system may be configured to cause the haptic actuation system to generate a first haptic output in response to detecting that the force input meets the second force threshold, and the dome switch may generate a second haptic output when collapsing in response to a force input that meets the first force threshold.

[0007] The electronic device may further include a camera and a display configured to display a graphical user interface, and the second operation may further include causing the display to transition to a graphical user interface associated with an image capture function. The processing system may further be configured to capture an image in response to detecting the collapse of the dome switch.

[0008] The processing system may further be configured to: detect a gesture input applied to the input structure, at least in part based on a third signal from the touch sensing element; and cause the electronic device to perform a third operation different from the first operation and the second operation in response to detecting the gesture input. The third operation may include a zoom operation for an image capture function. The gesture input may be a first gesture input corresponding to a swipe in a first direction, the zoom operation may include a zoom-in operation, and the processing system may further be configured to detect a second gesture input corresponding to a swipe in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and perform a zoom-out operation in response to detecting the second gesture input.

[0009] A portable electronic device may include a touch screen display, a battery, and a housing enclosing the touch screen display and the battery. The housing includes: a front cover positioned above the touch screen display and defining a front outer surface of the housing; and an outer shell member coupled to the front cover and defining an opening along a side outer surface of the housing. The portable electronic device may further include an input button system, which includes: a beam structure at least partially located within the housing and defining a compliant section; a strain sensing element coupled to the compliant section; a switch element coupled to the beam structure; a button member at least partially positioned within the opening and configured to apply a force to the switch element due to a force input applied to the button member; and a touch sensing element coupled to the button member. The portable electronic device may further include a processing system configured to: in response to detecting that a force input meets a force threshold based at least in part on a first signal from the strain sensing element, cause the portable electronic device to perform a first operation; in response to detecting a touch input applied to the input button system based at least in part on a second signal from the touch sensing element, cause the portable electronic device to perform a second operation different from the first operation; and in response to detecting actuation of the switch element, cause the portable electronic device to perform a third operation different from the first and second operations. The button member may have an elongated shape defining a longitudinal axis, and the touch sensing element may include a linear array of touch sensing pixels arranged along the longitudinal axis.

[0010] The button member may define a chassis portion and a hollow post extending into a hole defined by the outer shell member, and the input button system may further include a flexible circuit element coupled to the touch sensing element and extending through the hollow post, the flexible circuit element operatively coupling the touch sensing element to the processing system. The portable electronic device may further include a potting material at least partially filling the hollow post and encapsulating at least a portion of the flexible circuit element.

[0011] The touch input may correspond to a swipe gesture along an input surface of the input button system, the swipe gesture having a swipe direction. The second operation may correspond to a zoom operation of an image capture function, and the direction of the zoom operation may correspond to the swipe direction.

[0012] The portable electronic device may further include a haptic actuation system, and the processing system may be configured to: in response to detecting that a force input meets a force threshold, cause the haptic actuation system to generate a first haptic output; and in response to a notification event, cause the haptic actuation system to generate a second haptic output.

[0013] A mobile phone may include a housing member, a front cover coupled to the housing member, a display positioned below the front cover, and an input button system positioned along a side of the housing member. The input button system may respond to a first force input that meets a first force threshold, a second force input that meets a second force threshold different from the first force threshold, and a touch input. The input button system may include a button member; a touch sensing element coupled to the button member; a beam structure configured to be deflected by the button member in response to the first force input and the second force input; a strain sensing element coupled to the beam structure; and a switch element configured to be actuated in response to the second force input that meets the second force threshold. The mobile phone may further include a processing system operatively coupled to the touch sensing element, the strain sensing element, and the switch element and configured to: cause the mobile phone to perform a first operation in response to detecting a touch input using the touch sensing element; cause the mobile phone to perform a second operation in response to determining, using the strain sensing element, that the second force input meets the first force threshold; and cause the mobile phone to perform a third operation in response to detecting actuation of the switch element.

[0014] The input button system may further include an actuation structure coupled to the button member, the switch element may be coupled to the beam structure and positioned between the beam structure and the actuation structure, and the actuation structure applies an actuation force on the switch element in response to the second force input.

[0015] The beam structure may define a compliant section and a support section separated from the compliant section by a gap, the switch element may be coupled to the compliant section, and the strain sensing element may be coupled to the compliant section. The button member may define: a chassis portion; a first post extending from the chassis portion and passing through a first hole formed through the housing member; and a second post extending from the chassis portion and passing through a second hole formed through the housing member, and the input button system may further include a stabilizer bar coupled to the first post and the second post and captured between the support section of the beam structure and the housing member. The first post may be a hollow post, and the input button system may further include a circuit element conductively coupled to the touch sensing element and extending through the hollow post, the circuit element operatively coupling the touch sensing element to the processing system. The input button system may further include: a cover coupled to the button member and positioned above the touch sensing element; and a potting material at least partially encapsulating the touch sensing element and the circuit element and at least partially filling the hollow post.

[0016] A mobile phone may include a display, wireless communication circuitry, a battery, and a housing that encloses the display, the wireless communication circuitry, and the battery. The housing may include: a front cover that defines a front outer surface of the mobile phone; a rear cover that defines a rear outer surface of the mobile phone; an outer shell section that is coupled to the front cover and the rear cover and includes a first wall section, a second wall section, and a chassis section, the first wall section defining at least a portion of a first side outer surface of the mobile phone, the second wall section defining at least a portion of a second side outer surface that is opposite the first side outer surface, and the chassis section extending between the first wall section and the second wall section. The mobile phone may further include: a circuit board assembly that is thermally coupled to the chassis section at a thermally coupled area of the chassis section, the chassis section defining a thermal path that extends from the thermally coupled area to the first wall section; and a through hole that is positioned in the thermal path and is configured to interrupt heat flow from the circuit board assembly to the first wall section. The through hole may define an elongated opening that extends along a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the first side outer surface of the mobile phone.

[0017] The circuit board assembly may include a circuit board and a processor coupled to a first surface of the circuit board, and the mobile phone may further include a heat bridge that is thermally coupled to a second surface of the circuit board and is positioned below the processor, the second surface being opposite the first surface. The heat bridge may be thermally coupled to the chassis section at the thermally coupled area.

[0018] The circuit board assembly may be coupled to a first side of the chassis section and may be positioned between the chassis section and the rear cover, the battery may be thermally coupled to the first side of the chassis section and may be positioned between the chassis section and the rear cover, and the mobile phone may further include a heat dissipation member that is coupled to a second side of the chassis section that is opposite the first side, the heat dissipation member being positioned between the chassis section and the front cover and being configured to transfer heat from the display to the chassis section. The heat dissipation member may include at least one graphite layer that adheres to the second side of the chassis section.

[0019] The circuit board assembly may include: a first metal cover that is positioned on an outer surface of the circuit board assembly and covers a first circuit component; a second metal cover that is positioned on the outer surface of the circuit board assembly and covers a second circuit component; a heat dissipation member that is coupled to the first metal cover and the second metal cover and spans a gap between the first metal cover and the second metal cover; and a heat bridge that is coupled to the heat dissipation member and is configured to thermally couple the circuit board assembly to the rear cover.

[0020] A portable electronic device may include a housing that includes: a front cover assembly that defines a front outer surface of the housing; a rear cover assembly that defines a rear outer surface of the housing; and an outer shell section that is located between the front cover assembly and the rear cover assembly and includes a first wall section, a second wall section, and a chassis section. The first wall section defines at least a portion of a first side outer surface of the housing, the second wall section defines at least a portion of a second side outer surface that is opposite the first side outer surface, and the chassis section is coupled to the first wall section and the second wall section and defines at least a portion of a first internal cavity located between the chassis section and the front cover assembly and at least a portion of a second internal cavity located between the chassis section and the rear cover assembly. The portable electronic device may further include: a circuit board assembly that is positioned in the second internal cavity and is coupled to the chassis section; a first heat bridge that thermally couples the circuit board assembly to the rear cover assembly; and a second heat bridge that thermally couples the circuit board assembly to the chassis section. The chassis section may define a through hole that is configured to interrupt a thermal path from the second heat bridge to the first wall section. The portable electronic device may further include a battery that is positioned in the second internal cavity and is thermally coupled to the chassis section. The through hole may define an elongated opening that extends along a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the first side outer surface of the housing.

[0021] The housing may further include an outer shell member that is coupled to the outer shell section and defines at least a portion of a third side outer surface of the housing. The portable electronic device may further include wireless communication circuitry, and a portion of the outer shell member may be operatively coupled to the wireless communication circuitry and serve as an antenna radiator. The front cover assembly may include: a front cover; a display stack that is coupled to the front cover; a support frame that is coupled to the display stack; and a frame member that is formed of a molded polymer material that at least partially encapsulates the support frame and defines an upper surface that is coupled to the front cover and a lower surface that is coupled to the outer shell section. The outer shell member may include an edge portion that is adjacent to a side surface of the front cover assembly. The edge portion defines a first region having a first thickness and a second region having a second thickness that is less than the first thickness, and the support frame may define a recessed region that is positioned opposite the first region of the edge portion. The second region of the edge portion may define at least a portion of the antenna radiator.

[0022] An electronic device may include: a front cover that defines a front outer surface of the electronic device; a display coupled to an inner surface of the front cover; a rear cover that defines a rear outer surface of the electronic device; and a housing segment. The housing segment may include: a chassis section positioned between the front cover and the rear cover; a first wall section positioned along a first side of the chassis section and defining at least a portion of a first side outer surface of the electronic device; and a second wall section positioned along a second side of the chassis section and defining at least a portion of a second side outer surface of the electronic device. The electronic device may further include: a circuit board assembly thermally coupled to the first side of the chassis section and positioned between the chassis section and the rear cover; a battery thermally coupled to the first side of the chassis section and positioned between the chassis section and the rear cover; and a heat dissipation member coupled to the second side of the chassis section and positioned between the chassis section and the front cover, the heat dissipation member being configured to transfer heat from the display to the chassis section.

[0023] The heat dissipation member may be configured to diffuse heat from the display throughout the heat dissipation member. The heat dissipation member may include at least one graphite layer and extend over at least 80% of the second side of the chassis section.

[0024] The circuit board assembly may be thermally coupled to the first side of the chassis section at a thermally coupled area of the chassis section, and the chassis section may define a heat path extending from the thermally coupled area to the first wall section and a through hole extending through the chassis section and interrupting the heat path.

[0025] The circuit board assembly may include: a first metal cover positioned on an outer surface of the circuit board assembly and covering a first circuit component; a second metal cover positioned on the outer surface of the circuit board assembly and covering a second circuit component; and a heat dissipation member coupled to the first metal cover and the second metal cover and spanning a gap between the first metal cover and the second metal cover. The circuit board assembly may further include a heat bridge coupled to the heat dissipation member and configured to thermally couple the circuit board assembly to the rear cover.

[0026] A mobile phone may include a housing, a display at least partially located within the housing, a front cover coupled to the housing and positioned above the display, and a rear cover coupled to the housing. The rear cover may define: a first portion of the rear outer surface of the mobile phone, a protrusion defining a sensor array area with a bulge, a raised sensor array area defining a second portion of the rear outer surface, a first hole defined by the protrusion in the raised sensor array area, a second hole defined by the protrusion in the raised sensor array area, and a third hole defined by the rear cover outside the raised sensor array area. The mobile phone may further include: a first camera lens assembly that at least partially extends into the first hole; a second camera lens assembly that at least partially extends into the second hole; and a flash module that is at least partially located within the housing and positioned outside the raised sensor array area, and the flash module at least partially extends into the third hole.

[0027] The rear cover may further define a fourth hole defined by the protrusion in the raised sensor array area, and the mobile phone may further include a microphone module acoustically coupled to the fourth hole. At least a portion of the microphone module may be positioned outside the raised sensor array area.

[0028] The mobile phone may further include a bracket coupled to the rear cover and at least partially defining an acoustic waveguide configured to acoustically couple the microphone module to the fourth hole. The bracket may include a base and a continuous wall extending from the base, and the continuous wall may be placed against the rear cover to define an acoustic waveguide between the base and the rear cover. The fourth hole may lead to the acoustic waveguide at a first end of the acoustic waveguide, and the bracket may further include a fifth hole at a second end of the acoustic waveguide opposite the first end, and the fifth hole leads to the microphone module.

[0029] The flash module may be coupled to the bracket. The first hole and the second hole may be aligned along a first direction, and the third hole and the fourth hole may be aligned along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0030] The first hole and the second hole may be aligned along a direction parallel to the lateral side of the mobile phone. The third hole may be equidistant from the first hole and the second hole.

[0031] A portable electronic device may include a housing, a front cover coupled to the housing and defining a front outer surface of the portable electronic device, a display located below the front cover, and a rear cover coupled to the housing. The rear cover may define: a first portion of a rear outer surface of the portable electronic device, a protruding sensor array region defining a protrusion of the rear cover and a second portion of the rear outer surface of the portable electronic device, a microphone port defined through the rear cover in the protruding sensor array region, a first camera hole defined through the protrusion in the protruding sensor array region, and a second camera hole defined through the protrusion in the protruding sensor array region. The portable electronic device may further include: a camera assembly at least partially located within the housing and including a first lens assembly and a second lens assembly, the first lens assembly at least partially extending into the first camera hole, the second lens assembly at least partially extending into the second camera hole; and a microphone module acoustically coupled to the microphone port and coupled to the rear cover along an inner surface of the rear cover, at least a portion of the microphone module being positioned outside the protruding sensor array region.

[0032] The rear cover may further define a flash hole through the rear cover outside the protruding sensor array region, and the portable electronic device may further include a flash module coupled to the rear cover and at least partially extending into the flash hole.

[0033] The camera assembly may include a camera housing defining a recess along a side of the camera housing, and the microphone module may include a cover at least partially extending into the recess. The portable electronic device may further include a first camera, a processing element, and a flexible circuit element, the first camera being associated with the first lens assembly, the flexible circuit element operatively coupling the first camera to the processing element and extending along the side of the camera housing, the flexible circuit element defining a notch aligned with the recess along the side of the camera housing, and the cover at least partially extending into the notch. The portable electronic device may further include a bracket coupled to the rear cover and at least partially defining an acoustic waveguide configured to acoustically couple the microphone module to the microphone port. The bracket may include a wall defining a channel, and the wall is disposed against the rear cover such that the acoustic waveguide is defined by the channel and the rear cover.

[0034] A mobile phone may include a housing that includes a case defining a top wall, a bottom wall opposite the top wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall opposite the first side wall. The mobile phone may further include: a front cover coupled to the case and defining a front outer surface of the mobile phone; a battery located within the housing; a rear camera assembly positioned between the battery and the top wall and including a first lens assembly and a second lens assembly aligned along a first axis parallel to the first side wall; a circuit board assembly including a first section positioned between the battery and the top wall and a second section positioned between the battery and the second side wall; a processing element coupled to the circuit board assembly on the first section between the battery and the top wall; and a haptic actuator positioned between the battery and the second side wall, the haptic actuator including a mass configured to translate along a second axis parallel to the second side wall to generate a haptic output.

[0035] The mobile phone may further include a subscriber identity module (SIM) tray assembly coupled to the circuit board assembly on the second section of the circuit board assembly. The SIM tray assembly may include a SIM tray defining a SIM card cavity, and a longitudinal axis of the SIM card cavity may be parallel to the second side wall.

[0036] The mobile phone may further include a first acoustic module between the bottom wall and the battery and a second acoustic module between the bottom wall and the haptic actuator.

[0037] A mobile phone may include: a front cover defining a front outer surface of the mobile phone; a rear cover defining a rear outer surface of the mobile phone; and a case positioned between the front cover and the rear cover and including a wall section defining a through hole extending therethrough, the wall section including a cladding portion formed of a first metal. The cladding portion may define a portion of a side outer surface of the mobile phone and a first portion of the through hole. The wall section may further include: a core portion coupled to the cladding portion and formed of a second metal different from the first metal, the core portion defining a counterbore extending through the core portion and aligned with the through hole; and a lining structure formed of the first metal and positioned in the counterbore in the core portion and fused to the cladding portion at a fusion region, the lining structure defining a second portion of the through hole. The first metal may be a titanium alloy and the second metal may be an aluminum alloy.

[0038] The fusion region may define a third portion of the through hole. The lining structure may be fused to the core portion within the counterbore. A seam between the lining structure and the core portion may be exposed within a sealed interior volume of the mobile phone. The mobile phone may further include: an input member including a shaft extending through the through hole in the wall section; and a seal member positioned against the shaft and against a hole surface of the through hole to define a seal within the through hole.

[0039] A portable electronic device may include a housing that includes a wall segment. The wall segment includes a core portion formed of a first metal and defining a portion of the inner surface of the wall segment and a first hole extending through the core portion. The wall segment may further include a cladding portion coupled to the core portion and formed of a second metal different from the first metal. The cladding portion defines a portion of the outer side surface of the portable electronic device and a first portion of a second hole. The wall segment may further include a lining structure formed of the first metal and fused to the cladding portion. The lining structure is positioned in the first hole in the core portion and defines a second portion of the second hole.

[0040] The second hole may be defined by a continuous hole surface. The lining structure may define a first portion of the continuous hole surface, and the cladding portion may define a second portion of the continuous hole surface. The lining structure may be fused to the cladding portion at a fusion region. The fusion region may define a third portion of the continuous hole surface between the first portion and the second portion. The continuous hole surface may be a continuous machined surface defined along the cladding portion, the fusion region, and the lining structure.

[0041] The lining structure may be fused to the cladding portion via a laser fusion operation. The first metal may be an aluminum alloy, and the second metal may be a titanium alloy. The lining structure may be fused to the core portion along the hole surface of the first hole.

[0042] An electronic device may include: a front cover that defines a front outer surface of the electronic device; a display under the front cover; a rear cover that defines a rear outer surface of the electronic device; and a housing positioned between the front cover and the rear cover. The housing may include a wall segment that defines a first hole extending through the wall segment. The wall segment may include: a cladding portion formed of a first metal and defining a portion of the side surface of the electronic device; a core portion formed of a second metal and fused to the cladding portion, the core portion defining a portion of the inner surface of the electronic device; and a second hole extending through the core portion from the inner surface to the cladding portion. The wall segment may further include a lining structure positioned in the second hole and fused to the cladding portion at a fusion region. The cladding portion may define a first portion of the hole surface of the first hole, the lining structure may define a second portion of the hole surface of the first hole, and the fusion region between the cladding portion and the lining structure may define a third portion of the hole surface of the first hole.

[0043] The hole surface may be a continuous machined surface. The first metal may be a titanium alloy, and the second metal may be an aluminum alloy.

[0044] The lining structure may be fusion bonded to the cladding portion. The core portion may be diffusion bonded to the cladding portion.

[0045] The electronic device may further include: an input member that defines an axis extending into a first hole; and a sealing member disposed against the axis and the hole surface of the first hole to define a seal between the sealed interior volume of the electronic device and the external environment, and a seam between the lining structure and the core portion may be located within the sealed interior volume of the electronic device.

[0046] The mobile phone may include a housing that includes: a front cover assembly that defines a front outer surface of the housing; and an outer shell structure coupled to the front cover assembly and defining a side outer surface of the housing, the outer shell structure including a conductive mounting structure. The mobile phone may further include: a battery located within the housing; and an electro-detachable adhesive structure that removably couples the battery to the conductive mounting structure and includes a conductive layer coupled to the battery and an electro-detachable adhesive layer adhered to the conductive layer and the conductive mounting structure. The electro-detachable adhesive layer may define a first surface adhered to and conductively coupled to the conductive layer and a second surface adhered to and conductively coupled to the conductive mounting structure, and the electro-detachable adhesive layer is configured to reduce its adhesion strength along at least one of the first surface or the second surface in response to a voltage potential applied across the electro-detachable adhesive layer via the conductive layer and the conductive mounting structure.

[0047] The conductive mounting structure may include aluminum alloy and may define a first surface region having an anodized surface and a second surface region having a passivated conductive surface. The electro-detachable adhesive layer may be adhered to the passivated conductive surface. The conductive layer may be adhesively coupled to the battery along a first side of the conductive layer and adhesively coupled to the electro-detachable adhesive layer along a second side of the conductive layer.

[0048] The conductive layer may include a flexible substrate and a conductive material disposed on the flexible substrate. The conductive layer may define a tab extending from the electro-detachable adhesive structure, the tab including a conductive terminal for coupling to a voltage source. The conductive terminal may be a first conductive terminal, and the outer shell structure may define a second conductive terminal for coupling to a voltage source.

[0049] The electro-detachable adhesive layer may be configured to reduce its adhesion strength along the second surface in response to a voltage potential applied across the electro-detachable adhesive layer via the conductive layer and the conductive mounting structure.

[0050] A portable electronic device may include: a front cover that defines a front outer surface of the portable electronic device; a display coupled to an inner surface of the front cover; a housing structure coupled to the front cover and including a conductive mounting structure located below the front cover; a battery; an electro-detachable adhesive that couples the battery to the conductive mounting structure; a first electrode conductively coupled to a first surface of the electro-detachable adhesive, the first electrode being defined by the conductive mounting structure; and a second electrode conductively coupled to a second surface of the electro-detachable adhesive, the electro-detachable adhesive being configured to detach the battery from the conductive mounting structure in response to a voltage potential applied between the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0051] The battery may include a conductive battery housing and battery cells located within the conductive battery housing, and the second electrode may be defined by the conductive battery housing. The conductive battery housing may include a lower housing structure formed of metal and an upper housing structure formed of metal and welded to the lower housing structure. The battery may include a positive terminal conductively coupled to a cathode of the battery cells and electrically isolated from the conductive battery housing, and the conductive battery housing may be conductively coupled to an anode of the battery cells.

[0052] The second electrode may be defined by a conductive layer located between the electro-detachable adhesive and the battery.

[0053] The housing structure may include a first wall section and a second wall section, the first wall section defining at least a portion of a first side outer surface of the portable electronic device, the second wall section defining at least a portion of a second side outer surface of the portable electronic device opposite the first side outer surface, and the conductive mounting structure may extend from the first wall section to the second wall section. The conductive mounting structure may be formed of aluminum alloy and may define a first surface area having an anodized surface and a second surface area having a passivated conductive surface. The electro-detachable adhesive may adhere to the passivated conductive surface.

[0054] The portable electronic device may further include a switch circuit operatively coupled to the battery and the first and second electrodes and configured to apply a voltage potential from the battery between the first electrode and the second electrode.

[0055] An electronic device may include a touch screen display, a battery, and a housing that encloses the touch screen display and the battery. The housing may include: a front cover assembly that defines a front outer surface of the housing; an outer shell structure coupled to the front cover assembly and including a first wall section, a second wall section, and a conductive chassis section, the first wall section defining at least a portion of a first side outer surface of the housing, the second wall section defining at least a portion of a second side outer surface opposite the first side outer surface, and the conductive chassis section coupled to the first wall section and the second wall section. The electronic device may further include: an electro-detachable adhesive that is conductively coupled to the conductive chassis section and couples the battery to the conductive chassis section; and a conductive layer located between the electro-detachable adhesive and the battery and conductively coupled to the electro-detachable adhesive, the electro-detachable adhesive being configured to detach from the conductive chassis section in response to a voltage potential applied between the conductive chassis section and the conductive layer.

[0056] The conductive chassis section may be formed of aluminum alloy and may define a first surface area having an anodized surface and a second surface area having a passivated conductive surface. The electro-detachable adhesive may adhere to the passivated conductive surface.

[0057] The electronic device may further include a charging port configured to receive a charging cable configured to supply a voltage potential, and the charging port may be operably coupled to the conductive chassis section and the conductive layer. The electronic device may be configured to apply a voltage potential from the charging cable to the conductive chassis section and the conductive layer in response to a user input. The user input may be provided to the touch screen display.

[0058] The conductive chassis section may define an electrical ground of the electronic device. The conductive layer may include a flexible substrate and a conductive material disposed on one surface of the flexible substrate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0059] The present disclosure will be readily understood by the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numerals denote like structural elements, wherein:

[0060] Figures 1A to 1B An example electronic device is depicted.

[0061] Figures 1C to 1D Another example electronic device is depicted.

[0062] Figure 2 is an exploded view of the example electronic device.

[0063] Figure 3 is an exploded view of the example electronic device.

[0064] Figure 4A is a plan view of an example outer shell structure of the electronic device.

[0065] Figure 4B It is a partial exploded view of an exemplary electronic device.

[0066] Figure 4C It is a partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary electronic device.

[0067] Figures 5 to 6 It depicts an exemplary circuit board assembly of an electronic device.

[0068] Figure 7A It depicts an exemplary battery of an electronic device.

[0069] Figure 7B It is a partial exploded view of an exemplary battery of an electronic device.

[0070] Figures 7C to 7D It is a partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary battery of an electronic device.

[0071] Figures 8A to 8B It depicts a part of an exemplary electronic device with a rear sensor array.

[0072] Figure 8C It depicts an example of a rear camera assembly.

[0073] Figure 8D It depicts a part of an exemplary rear cover assembly of an electronic device.

[0074] Figure 9 It depicts an example bracket used with a flash and microphone module of an electronic device.

[0075] Figure 10A It is a partial cross-sectional view of a housing member with a cladding structure.

[0076] Figures 10B to 10F It is a partial cross-sectional view of the housing, illustrating an example operation for forming a lining structure in the housing.

[0077] Figures 11A to 11B It is a partial cross-sectional view of the housing, illustrating additional example operations for forming a lining structure in the housing.

[0078] Figure 12A It is a front view of an exemplary electronic device.

[0079] Figure 12B It is a perspective view of a part of an exemplary housing of an electronic device.

[0080] Figure 13A It is a partial cross-sectional view of a device with an exemplary input button system.

[0081] Figure 13B It is a perspective view of a part of an exemplary input button system.

[0082] Figure 13C Is a partial exploded view of a device with an example input button system.

[0083] Figures 14A to 14B Is a partial cross-sectional view of an example input button system.

[0084] Figure 15 Is an exploded view of an example input structure of an input button system.

[0085] Figures 16A to 16C Is a partial cross-sectional view of an example device with an example input button system.

[0086] Figures 17A to 17B Is a perspective view of a part of a device with an example input button system.

[0087] Figures 18A to 18F Is a partial cross-sectional view of an input button system, illustrating an example input to the input button system.

[0088] Figure 19 Is a partial cross-sectional view of an example input button system.

[0089] Figure 20A Depicts an example rear sensor system of an electronic device.

[0090] Figure 20B Is a partial exploded view of an example flexible circuit assembly.

[0091] Figure 21A Depicts an electronic device with example circuit components.

[0092] Figure 21B Depicts example circuit components of an electronic device.

[0093] Figure 21C Depicts an example spacer used with the circuit components of an electronic device.

[0094] Figure 21D Depicts example circuit components of an electronic device.

[0095] Figure 21E Depicts example circuit components of an electronic device.

[0096] Figure 22A Is a perspective view of an example rear cover assembly of an electronic device.

[0097] Figure 22B Is a perspective view of an example rear cover assembly of an electronic device.

[0098] Figure 23 Depicts an example component layout of an electronic device.

[0099] Figure 24A is a partial exploded view of an exemplary electronic device, illustrating an exemplary electrically detachable adhesive structure for attaching components to a housing.

[0100] Figure 24B is a rear view of a portion of an electronic device having an electrically detachable adhesive structure.

[0101] Figures 25A to 25D is a partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary electrically detachable adhesive structure, illustrating an exemplary adhesive detachment operation.

[0102] Figure 26A is a partial cross-sectional view of a device, illustrating an exemplary electrically detachable adhesive structure.

[0103] Figure 26B is a partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary battery and an exemplary electrically detachable adhesive structure.

[0104] Figure 27 is a partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary electronic device having an electrically detachable adhesive structure for coupling a front cover and a back cover to a housing.

[0105] Figures 28A to 28D is a partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary electrically detachable adhesive structure.

[0106] Figures 29A to 29B illustrates a heating element used in conjunction with an electrically detachable adhesive structure.

[0107] Figure 29C is a partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary electrically detachable adhesive structure having an incorporated heating element.

[0108] Figures 30A to 30E depicts an exemplary configuration for applying a voltage source to an electrically detachable adhesive structure.

[0109] Figure 31 depicts an exemplary user interface for initiating a detachment operation for an electrically detachable adhesive structure.

[0110] Figure 32 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary electronic device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0111] Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the following description is not intended to limit the embodiments to one preferred embodiment. Instead, it is intended to cover alternatives, modifications, and equivalents that may be included within the spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by the appended claims.

[0112] A mobile phone as described herein may include complex and sophisticated components and systems that facilitate a variety of functions. For example, a mobile phone according to the present disclosure may include a touch-sensitive display and / or a force-sensitive display, multiple cameras (including both a front-facing camera and a rear-facing camera), a GPS system, a haptic actuator, a wireless charging system, and all of the necessary computing components and software for operating these (and other) systems and otherwise providing the functionality of the mobile phone.

[0113] Figure 1A and Figure 1B An example electronic device 100 embodied as a mobile phone is shown. Figure 1A Illustrates the front portion of device 100, while Figure 1B illustrates the back of the device. Although device 100 is a mobile phone, the concepts presented herein may apply to any suitable electronic device, including portable electronic devices, wearable devices (e.g., watches), laptop computers, handheld gaming devices, tablet computers, computing peripherals (e.g., mice, touchpads, keyboards), or any other device. Thus, any reference to an "electronic device" encompasses any and all of the foregoing.

[0114] The electronic device 100 includes a cover 102 (e.g., a front cover) attached to a housing 104 (which may include a housing structure defined by one or more housing components). The cover 102 may be positioned over the display 103. The cover 102 may be a sheet or sheet-like structure formed of a transparent or optically transmissive material. The cover 102 may define a front outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface of the device. In some cases, the cover 102 is formed of or includes a glass material and may thus be referred to as a glass cover member. The glass material may be a silica-based glass material, aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, alkali-containing aluminosilicate glass (e.g., lithium aluminosilicate glass), or chemically strengthened glass. Other example materials for the cover 102 include, but are not limited to, sapphire, ceramic, glass-ceramic, devitrifiable glass material, or plastic (e.g., polycarbonate). The glass-ceramic material may be a silica-based glass-ceramic material, such as an aluminosilicate glass-ceramic material or a borosilicate glass-ceramic material. The glass-ceramic material may be chemically strengthened by ion exchange. The cover 102 may be formed as a single piece or monolithic sheet. The cover 102 may also be formed as a composite of multiple layers of different materials, coatings, and other elements.

[0115] The display 103 may be at least partially positioned within the interior volume of the housing 104. The display 103 may be coupled to the cover 102, such as via an adhesive or other coupling scheme. The display 103 may include a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, an active matrix organic light emitting diode (AMOLED) display, an organic electro-luminescent (EL) display, an electrophoretic ink display, or the like. The display 103 may be configured to display a graphical output, such as a graphical user interface with which a user may view and interact. The graphical output may be displayed as a graphical active area (e.g., an active display area) of the display 103. The active display area may be surrounded or defined by a border area, which may be defined by an opaque mask (or using other components or techniques) on the inner surface of the cover 102. In some cases, the border is small (e.g., less than about 3 mm, less than about 2 mm, or less than about 1 mm).

[0116] The display 103 may also define a primary display area, which may generally correspond to a main forward continuous display area, where a graphical user interface, images, videos, applications, and other graphical outputs may be displayed.

[0117] The device 100 may also include an ambient light sensor, which may determine an attribute of the ambient light conditions surrounding the device 100. The device 100 may use the information from the ambient light sensor to change, modify, adjust, or otherwise control the display 103 (e.g., by changing the hue, brightness, saturation, or other optical aspects of the display based on the information from the ambient light sensor). The ambient light sensor may be positioned below the active area of the display 103 (e.g., below the portion of the display that produces the graphical output). The ambient light sensor may emit and / or receive light through the active area of the display 103 to perform the sensing function.

[0118] The display 103 may include one or more touch sensing systems and / or force sensing systems or be associated with one or more touch sensing systems and / or force sensing systems. In some cases, the components of the touch sensing system and / or force sensing system are integrated with the display stack. For example, the electrode layers of touch sensing components such as touch sensors and / or force sensors may be provided in a stack that includes display components (and optionally attached to or at least visible through the cover 102). The touch sensing system and / or force sensing system may use any suitable type of sensing technology and touch sensing components, including capacitive sensors, resistive sensors, surface acoustic wave sensors, piezoelectric sensors, strain gauges, etc. The outer or external surface of the cover 102 may define an input surface of the device (e.g., a touch-sensitive input surface and / or a force-sensitive input surface). Although both a touch sensing system and a force sensing system may be included, in some cases, the device 100 includes a touch sensing system and does not include a force sensing system.

[0119] Device 100 may also include a front camera 106. The front camera 106 may be positioned below the cover 102 or otherwise covered and / or protected by the cover. The front camera 106 may have any suitable operating parameters. For example, the front camera 106 may include a 12-megapixel sensor (with a pixel size of 1 micron) and a field of view of 80° to 90°. The front camera 106 may have an aperture number of f / 1.9. The front camera 106 may include an autofocus function (e.g., one or more lens elements may move relative to the optical sensor to focus an image on the sensor). Other types of cameras may also be used for the front camera 106, such as a fixed-focus camera.

[0120] The front camera 106 (and other components) may be positioned in the front sensor area 111. The front sensor area 111 may be positioned in an island area on the front portion of the device 100 and may be surrounded by the display area (e.g., the main or primary display area) of the device 100. In some cases, as described herein, the front sensor area 111 may be positioned in or defined by one or more holes formed through the display 103. In such cases, the front sensor area 111 may be adjacent to the active area or regions of the display 103 on all sides. In other words, the front sensor area 111 may be completely surrounded by the active display area (e.g., the outer perimeter of the front sensor area 111 may be surrounded by the active area of the display). In some cases, the front sensor area 111 includes or is defined by one or more masks or other visually opaque components or treatments that define an opening for the sensors of the front sensor area 111. The front sensor area 111 may include components such as an infrared illuminator module 107 (which may include a flood illuminator and a point projector), an infrared image capture device 109, components of the proximity sensing system 123, and the front camera 106. The infrared illuminator module 107 is an example of a light emitter, and the infrared image capture device 109 is an example of an optical receiver.

[0121] Proximity sensing system 123 can determine the proximity of an object (e.g., the user's face) to device 100. Device 100 can use information from proximity sensing system 123 to change, modify, adjust, or otherwise control display 103 or other functions of device 100 (e.g., deactivate the display when device 100 is held near the user's face during a phone call). Proximity sensing system 123 can be part of an integrated module that includes components of proximity sensing system 123 as well as illuminator module 107 and infrared image capture device 109. Proximity sensing system 123 can include an optical transmitter and an optical receiver, each of which can be associated with its own light guide. Proximity sensing system 123 can use lasers and time-of-flight calculations or other types of proximity sensing components or techniques to estimate the distance between the device and a separate object or target.

[0122] In some cases, forward sensor region 111 is defined by or includes two holes formed through display 103, such as a first hole providing an optical path to forward camera 106 and a second hole providing a path to infrared illuminator module 107, infrared image capture device 109, and proximity sensing system 123. Supplementary display region 115 can be located between the first hole and the second hole. Supplementary display region 115 can provide graphical output and touch sensing functionality and / or force sensing functionality to forward sensor region 111. For example, supplementary display region 115 can be used to display graphical output, such as lights, shapes, icons, or other elements (e.g., provide notifications and / or information to the user). In some cases, supplementary display region 115 can be visually distinct from other active regions of the display such that supplementary display region 115 does not appear to be part of the display. For example, graphical output (e.g., graphical user interface, image, video, etc.) displayed on display 103 cannot extend into supplementary display region 115. In such cases, although the display has an active display region or two separate holes that are differentiated, forward sensor region 111 can visually appear to be a single continuous region of the display. Supplementary display region 115 and optionally touch sensing components of the display surrounding forward sensor region 111 can also include touch sensing functionality and / or force sensing functionality such that a user can touch forward sensor region 111 to provide input to the device. In some cases, touch input applied at any location in forward sensor region 111 (e.g., even directly over an optical component) can be detected by the device. These and other features of forward sensor region 111 are described herein.

[0123] Device 100 can also include one or more buttons (e.g., button 120, button 121, and Figure 1BButtons 116 and 118), switches, and / or other physical input systems. Such input systems can be used to control the power state (e.g., button 120), control applications (e.g., button 121), change the speaker volume (e.g., button 116), switch between "ringing" mode and "silent" mode (e.g., button 118), etc. Buttons 116, 118, 120, and 121 can include a strain sensing system that detects an input to the button based on the detected strain. Buttons 116, 118, 120, and 121 can also be associated with a haptic actuation system that generates a haptic output in response to detecting a strain that meets a condition. Thus, for example, when a strain or force (and / or an electrical parameter indicating a strain that meets a condition) that meets a condition is detected, the haptic actuation system can apply a force to the button to generate a haptic output (e.g., similar to a "click" sound). This haptic output or response can provide haptic feedback to the user indicating that the input has been recognized by the device.

[0124] In some cases, one or more of the buttons 116, 118, 120, and 121 may use a switch member (such as a collapsible dome switch) to detect button presses. Such dome switches can be used in place of (or optionally, in addition to) a strain-based sensing system or other non-binary force sensing system. However, in some cases, in addition to the strain-based sensing system or non-binary force sensing system in a given button, a dome switch or other collapsible or tactile switch may also be used. In such cases, the button can facilitate the detection of binary or momentary inputs while also detecting the magnitude of the force applied to the button. In such cases, the device 100 may perform different operations in response to detecting a binary input and in response to detecting a force that meets a condition. More specifically, the user may provide a partial actuation of the button (e.g., a half click or half press), where a force is applied but the switch does not collapse. The device 100 may perform one or more operations in response to detecting the partial actuation of the button (e.g., in response to detecting a force that meets a condition). The user may then (or alternatively) provide a full actuation of the button, where the force is increased until the switch is actuated or otherwise records the input (e.g., the dome switch collapses). The device 100 may perform one or more additional or different operations in response to detecting the switch actuation. As a non-limiting example, when the device 100 is operating in an image capture mode, the button can be used to provide input to the device 100. In such cases, the partial actuation may cause the device 100 to initiate a focusing operation, or lock an exposure setting for image capture (or perform other operations or combinations of operations). When a full actuation is detected (e.g., a binary or momentary switch is actuated), the device 100 may capture an image using one of the on-board cameras. Other functions may also be initiated in response to partial and / or full actuation of the button, including other image capture functions or other device or application functions. For example, the partial actuation may initiate a scrolling operation (e.g., scrolling through items in a displayed list), and the full actuation may initiate a selection of a selected item in the list. In some cases, the button 121 of the device 100 includes both a dome switch (or other binary or momentary type switch) and a strain-based sensing system. In some cases, one or more of the other buttons of the device 100 include both a dome switch (or other binary or momentary type switch) and a strain-based sensing system.

[0125] In some cases, one or more of the buttons 116, 118, 120, and 121 may use a touch sensing system (such as a capacitive touch sensing system) to detect input. For example, the button member of a button (e.g., the movable part that a user presses to actuate the button or provide input to the button) may include a touch sensing element positioned thereon. Buttons equipped with touch sensing elements can detect various types of touch-based input, including static touch input (e.g., a finger touching the touch-sensitive button surface), dynamic touch input (e.g., a finger sliding along the touch-sensitive button surface, also known as a gesture or swipe input), etc.

[0126] In some cases, the button 121 may include a touch sensing element 131 to detect such touch-based input. The device 100 may perform various operations in response to detecting touch-based input. Continuing with the above example, when the device 100 is operating in an image capture mode, a static touch input may initiate a focus or exposure lock operation, while a dynamic or swipe touch input may initiate a zoom operation (e.g., swiping in one direction may initiate a zoom-in operation, and swiping in the opposite direction may initiate a zoom-out operation).

[0127] In some cases, the touch sensing element 131 may detect the position of a touch input on the button 121 during button actuation, and the device may perform different actions based on the position of the touch. For example, if the button 121 is actuated by a press input at a first position on the button 121 (e.g., at one end of the button 121, as detected by the touch sensing element 131), the device may perform a first action (e.g., a zoom-in operation), and if the button 121 is actuated by a press input at a second position on the button 121 (e.g., at the opposite end of the button 121, as detected by the touch sensing element 131), the device may perform a second action different from the first action (e.g., a zoom-out operation).

[0128] In some cases, the touch sensing element 131 may detect whether the input to the button 121 is applied with a single finger or two fingers, and may perform different operations in response. For example, if the button 121 is actuated with a single finger (as detected by the touch sensing element 131), the device may perform a first action (e.g., capture a single image), and if the button 121 is actuated with multiple fingers (as detected by the touch sensing element 131), the device may perform a second action different from the first action (e.g., capture a series of images during the duration of the actuation, or initiate a video capture operation).

[0129] Other sensing techniques may also be used to detect input to the buttons. In some cases, switches or other input devices are used in place of one or more buttons.

[0130] As described above, button 121 can be force-sensitive and / or pressure-sensitive (e.g., capable of detecting variable force inputs), and can generate multiple controls or outputs based on the amount of force input, the presence of a touch, the location of the touch, and the movement of the touch (gesture). The specific operation initiated in response to any given button input can vary according to the amount of force applied (e.g., be proportional to the amount of force applied). In some cases, force-based inputs can inhibit actions or be ignored by the device in the absence of a detected touch input at touch sensing element 131. Button 121 can also be paired with one or more other buttons for specifying operations or commands (e.g., the device can perform certain operations in response to detecting simultaneous inputs at multiple buttons or certain input sequences at multiple buttons).

[0131] As described in several of the above examples, button 121 can be operated to initiate or control image capture functions and operations. For example, a light touch of button 121 (e.g., a touch input sensed in the absence of force or with a force that meets a first force condition corresponding to a slight deflection of the button) can initiate focus and metering operations, and a greater force or deflection of the button (e.g., meeting a second force condition) can initiate image or video capture operations. Additionally, different haptic outputs can be generated in response to detecting different inputs at button 121 and / or in response to different operations initiated by button inputs.

[0132] Other example image manipulation and / or camera function controls that can be initiated by an input (force and / or touch input) to button 121 can include: zooming in or out in response to a swipe input in different directions on the button surface; increasing or decreasing the volume output in response to a swipe input in different directions on the button surface; capturing a single image or a series of multiple images in response to different force inputs (e.g., for a light press, a single image; for a more forceful press, multiple images). In such cases, different haptic outputs can be generated in response to detecting different inputs at button 121 and / or in response to different operations initiated by button inputs.

[0133] Button 121 can also cause the device to perform other functions that are associated with the operation of the device or are set in response to operations of specific applications or usage patterns on the phone. For example, an input to button 121 can cause the device to perform operations such as: selecting one or more warning suppression (mute) modes; verifying a purchase or verifying an application command; controlling a timer command, including operations related to a watch; providing input to a game, such as throttle control or other continuously variable input; initiating a hard reset and / or a soft reset of the device; initiating user-programmable operations; and initiating or terminating an application. In some cases, the specific operation of the button can be user-programmable or selectable. For example, the user can select what function or operation to initiate in response to various force inputs, gesture inputs, and touch inputs. The user can also establish different input schemes for different device modes. For example, the user can map force, touch, and gesture inputs to a first set of functions when the device is operating in a first mode (e.g., when a first application, such as an image capture application, is being executed), and can map force, touch, and gesture inputs to a second set of functions when the device is operating in a second mode (e.g., when a second application is being executed).

[0134] In some cases, the operation of button 121 can be changed based on the orientation of the device. For example, if the device is held in a vertical or "portrait" orientation, force, touch, and gesture inputs can be mapped to a first set of functions, and if the device is held in a horizontal or "landscape" orientation, force, touch, and gesture inputs can be mapped to a second set of functions.

[0135] Button 121 can also be used to initiate stereoscopic image or video capture. In some cases, the selection of the stereoscopic image capture mode (or switching between the stereoscopic image mode and a non-stereoscopic image mode) can be controlled by the operation of button 121 or other device inputs (e.g., other buttons, touch screen inputs, etc.). In some cases, the ability to select the stereoscopic image mode (or switch between the stereoscopic image mode and other image modes) with button 121 can depend on the orientation of the device.

[0136] Device 100 may also include a speaker port 110 to provide audio output to a user (such as to the user's ear) during a voice call. In the context of a mobile phone, the speaker port 110 (which is an example of an audio port) may also be referred to as a receiver, a receiver port, or an earpiece. The speaker port 110 may be defined by an opening that is defined by the housing 104 along at least one side and by the cover 102 along at least another side. In some cases, the cover 102 defines a notch along the edge of the cover, and the notch (also referred to as a recess or cutout) defines at least three sides of the speaker port 110. The speaker port 110 may not have a mesh or other covering flush with the front surface of the cover 102. In some cases, a protective grille or grid is positioned within the device 100 and in the audio path between the speaker and the speaker port 110 to inhibit debris from entering the device 100. The protective grille or grid may be recessed relative to the front surface or face of the cover 102.

[0137] Device 100 may also include a charging port 112 (e.g., a connector for receiving a charging cable or a power supply cable to power the device 100 and charge the battery of the device 100). The charging port 112 may receive any suitable designed connector. In some cases, the charging port 112 receives a connector corresponding to a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connector type, such as a USB-C connector. The charging port 112 may also be configured to send and / or receive data via a cable (such as using USB or other communication protocols).

[0138] Device 100 may also include an audio opening 114. The audio opening 114 may allow sound output from an internal speaker system (e.g., Figure 2 the speaker system 224) to leave the housing 104. Device 100 may also include one or more microphones. In some cases, the microphones within the housing 104 may be acoustically coupled to the surrounding environment through the audio opening 114.

[0139] The housing 104 may be a multi-piece housing. For example, the housing 104 may be formed by a plurality of housing components 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, and 130 that are structurally coupled together via one or more intermediate elements such as joint structures 122 (e.g., 122-1 to 122-6). The housing components 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, and 130 together with the joint structures 122 may define a ribbon-like housing structure that defines four sidewalls of the device 100 (and thus defines four outer side surfaces). The four walls may include a top wall (e.g., adjacent to the forward sensor array 111), a bottom wall opposite the top wall (e.g., adjacent to the port 112), a first sidewall (e.g., Figure 1A the first lateral sidewall visible inFigure 1B the second lateral sidewall visible therein). Thus, both the housing member and the joint structure define portions of the outer surface of the device 100.

[0140] The housing members 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, and 130 may be formed of a conductive material (e.g., metal), and the joint structure 122 may be formed of one or more polymeric materials (e.g., glass-reinforced polymer). The joint structure 122 may include two or more molded elements that may be formed of different materials. For example, an inner molded element may be formed of a first material (e.g., a polymeric material), and an outer molded element may be formed of a second material different from the first material (e.g., a different polymeric material). These materials may have different properties that may be selected based on the different functions of the inner and outer molded elements. For example, the inner molded element may be configured to form a primary structural connection between the housing members and may have a higher mechanical strength and / or toughness than the outer molded element. On the other hand, the outer molded element may be configured to have a specific appearance, surface finish, chemical resistance, waterproof function, etc., and its composition may be selected to prioritize those functions over mechanical strength. The joint structure 122 may mechanically interlock with the housing members to structurally couple the housing members and form a structural housing assembly.

[0141] The housing members 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, and 130 may be formed of a cladding structure including multiple materials. For example, the housing member may include a core portion formed of a first metal and a cladding portion formed of a second metal. The cladding portion may define the outer surface of the housing member. The outer surface defined by the cladding portion may have a surface texture that produces a specific visual appearance and / or tactile feel. For example, the surface texture may have a texture that produces diffuse reflection. The surface texture may be produced by grinding, polishing, machining, ablation, sandblasting (e.g., sandblasting, bead blasting), etching (via mechanical etching, laser etching, chemical etching), or any other suitable texturing operation. The outer surface of the housing member may also include a coating, such as a deposited coating. In some cases, the cladding portion is polished. The deposited coating may be deposited on the housing member via plasma vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), etc.

[0142] The core part of the housing component can be aluminum (e.g., aluminum alloy), and the cladding part can be titanium (e.g., titanium alloy). Other metals can be used instead of aluminum and titanium for the core part and the cladding part, such as an aluminum core with a stainless steel cladding, or a nickel core with a titanium cladding, or a steel core with a stainless steel cladding. Other combinations of metals are also envisioned. In some cases, the core part of the housing component is aluminum and the cladding part is stainless steel. The cladding part can have an average thickness between about 0.1 mm and about 1.0 mm. The aluminum of the housing can include recycled aluminum (e.g., up to 70% recycled aluminum, up to 85% recycled aluminum, or another value).

[0143] As used herein, references to metals (e.g., aluminum, titanium) include pure metals as well as metal alloys, unless otherwise specified. Thus, for example, a component formed of aluminum can be formed of pure aluminum, 6061 aluminum alloy, 7071 aluminum alloy, or other aluminum alloys. Similarly, a component formed of titanium can be formed of pure titanium, Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy, Ti-5Al-2.5Sn titanium alloy, or another titanium alloy. References to steel can include various types and / or alloys of steel, including but not limited to low carbon steel, stainless steel, high carbon steel, etc.

[0144] In some cases, one or more (or portions thereof) of the housing components 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, and 130 are configured to operate as an antenna (e.g., a component configured to transmit and / or receive electromagnetic waves to facilitate wireless communication with other computers and / or devices). To facilitate using the housing component as an antenna, a feeder line and a ground line can be conductively coupled to the housing component to couple the housing component to other antennas and / or communication circuits. The connection structure 122 can be substantially non-conductive to provide appropriate separation and / or electrical isolation between the housing components (which can be used to tune the radiating portion, reduce capacitive coupling between the radiating portion and other structures, etc.). In some cases, a supplementary antenna segment is conductively coupled to the housing component to change the antenna performance parameters of the housing component. The supplementary antenna segment can be coupled to the housing component via a switching circuit that allows the supplementary antenna segment to be selectively coupled or decoupled from the housing component.

[0145] The device 100 can include various internal antenna elements that are configured to transmit and receive wireless communication signals through various regions of the device 100. For example, the internal antenna elements can be configured to transmit and receive wireless communication signals through the front cover 102, the back cover or rear cover 132 ( Figure 1B ), or optionally through a radio frequency transmission window formed through the housing component.

[0146] The outer surfaces of the housing components 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, and 130 may have substantially the same color, surface texture, and overall appearance as the outer surface of the joint structure 122. In some cases, the outer surfaces of the housing components 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, and 130 and the outer surface of the joint structure 122 are subjected to at least one common finishing process, such as abrasive blasting, machining, polishing, grinding, etc. Thus, the outer surfaces of the housing components and the joint structure may have the same or similar surface finishes (e.g., surface texture, roughness, pattern, etc.). In some cases, the outer surfaces of the housing components and the joint structure may be subjected to a two-stage sandblasting method to produce a target surface finish.

[0147] Figure 1A Also included is an example coordinate system 101 that may define the orientation of the reference device 100 (or other electronic devices described herein). The coordinate system 101 defines a positive x-direction, a positive y-direction, and a positive z-direction. Unless otherwise specified, references herein to the positive x, y, or z direction will be understood to generally refer to the coordinate system 101 and its relationship to Figure 1A the device 100 therein. The negative x, y, and z directions will be understood to be opposite to the positive x, y, and z directions shown in the coordinate system Figure 1A therein. The x, y, and z directions may also be understood as the x, y, and z axes.

[0148] Figure 1B The back side of the device 100 is illustrated. The device 100 may include a back cover or rear cover 132 that is coupled to the housing 104 and defines at least a portion of the external rear surface of the device 100. The cover 102 (e.g., front cover), the rear cover 132, and the housing 104 may at least partially define the housing of the device 100. The housing may define an internal volume in which the components of the device 100 are located. The rear cover 132 may be formed of or include a transparent or optically transmissive material. For example, the rear cover 132 may include a substrate formed of a glass material. The glass material may be a silica-based glass material, an aluminosilicate glass, a borosilicate glass, an alkali-containing aluminosilicate glass (e.g., lithium aluminosilicate glass), or chemically strengthened glass. Other example materials for the rear cover 132 include, but are not limited to, sapphire, ceramics, glass ceramics, devitrifiable glass materials, and plastics (e.g., polycarbonate). The glass ceramic material may be a silica-based glass ceramic material, such as an aluminosilicate glass ceramic material or a borosilicate glass ceramic material. The glass ceramic material may be chemically strengthened by ion exchange.

[0149] The rear cover 132 can be formed as a single piece or a monolithic sheet. The rear cover 132 can also be formed as a composite of multiple layers of different materials, coatings, and other components. The rear cover 132 can include one or more decorative layers on the outer or inner surface of the substrate. For example, one or more coatings can be applied to (or otherwise positioned along) the inner surface of the substrate to provide a specific appearance for the back of the device 100. The coating can include a sheet, ink, dye, or a combination of these (or other) layers, materials, etc. In some cases, one or more of the coatings have a color that substantially matches the color of the housing 104 (e.g., the outer surface of the housing components and joint structures). In some cases, the substrate material of the rear cover 132 can be colored and can include one or more coatings that contribute to the colored appearance of the rear cover. Additionally, the rear cover 132 can be formed of a dielectric material or can include a dielectric material (e.g., the rear cover 132 can be a dielectric member such as a glass member, sapphire member, polymer member, glass-ceramic member, etc.).

[0150] The device 100 can include a wireless charging system, whereby power can be supplied to and / or the battery of the device 100 can be charged through inductive (or other electromagnetic) coupling between a charger (e.g., a wireless charging accessory) and the wireless charging system within the device 100. In such cases, the rear cover 132 can be formed of a material that permits and / or facilitates wireless coupling between the charger and the wireless charging system.

[0151] The device 100 can also include a sensor array 141 (e.g., a rear sensor array in the rear sensor array region), which includes three cameras (e.g., as described herein Figure 2 shown). The sensor array 141 can be located in a sensor array region defined by a protrusion 151 in the rear cover of the device 100. The protrusion 151 can define a portion of the rear outer surface of the device 100 and can at least partially define a raised sensor array region for the sensor array 141. In some cases, the protrusion 151 can be formed by attaching a piece of material (e.g., glass) to another piece of material (e.g., glass). In other cases, the rear cover 132 can include a monolithic structure, and the protrusion 151 can be part of the monolithic structure. For example, the rear cover 132 can include a monolithic glass structure (or glass-ceramic structure or alkali aluminosilicate or other suitable material) that defines the protrusion 151 and the surrounding area. In such cases, the protrusion 151 can be a region of increased thickness of the monolithic structure, or the protrusion can have the same or substantially the same thickness as the rest of the cover (e.g., the protrusion 151 can correspond to a recessed region along the inner side of the monolithic structure or generally opposite the recessed region such that the monolithic structure has a uniform thickness while still defining the protrusion 151).

[0152] The first camera 142 may include a 12-megapixel sensor and a telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom and an aperture number of f / 2.8. In some cases, the first camera 142 has a telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom. The second camera 144 may include a 48.8-megapixel sensor (optionally having a three-layer sensor arrangement), having sensor-shift image stabilization and a wide-angle lens with an aperture number of f / 1.7. The third camera 146 may include a 48-megapixel sensor and an ultra-wide-angle camera with a wide field of view (FOV) (e.g., 120° FOV) and an aperture number of f / 2.2. One or more of the cameras in the sensor array 141 may also include lens-based optical image stabilization, whereby the lens moves dynamically relative to a fixed structure within the device 100 to reduce the impact of "camera shake" or other movement on the images captured by the camera, and / or sensor-based image stabilization, whereby the image sensor moves relative to a fixed lens or optical component. One or more of these cameras may include an autofocus function, wherein one or more lens elements (and / or the sensor) may move to focus an image on the sensor.

[0153] The first camera 142 may include an image sensor with a pixel size between approximately 0.8 micrometers and approximately 1.4 micrometers. The second camera 144 may include an image sensor with a pixel size between approximately 1.6 micrometers and approximately 2.3 micrometers. The third camera 146 may include an image sensor with a pixel size between approximately 0.8 micrometers and approximately 1.4 micrometers.

[0154] The first camera 142 and the second camera 144 may be oriented along the y-direction of the device (e.g., centered along a line extending in the y-direction). The alignment of the first camera 142 and the second camera 144 along the y-direction may facilitate the capture of stereoscopic images and / or videos, such as three-dimensional images and / or videos. For example, when the device 100 is held in a landscape or horizontal orientation during image capture, the alignment of the cameras along the y-direction positions the cameras horizontally. In such cases, the horizontal alignment of the cameras 142, 144 facilitates the capture of three-dimensional or stereoscopic images or videos. Such images or videos may be displayed in a head-mounted display or via other three-dimensional display technologies. In the case of a head-mounted display, the images and / or videos captured using the stereoscopic function of the cameras 142, 144 may be displayed as three-dimensional media. In some cases, the cameras 142, 144 may be used to capture a three-dimensional scan of an object, and the device 100 may generate a three-dimensional virtual model of the object for display using a head-mounted display or other visualization technologies.

[0155] As used herein, the term stereoscopic may refer to a mode or operation of a device in which two or more cameras are used concurrently or simultaneously to capture images or videos.

[0156] The sensor array 141, along with associated processors and software, can provide several image capture features. For example, the sensor array 141 can be configured to capture a full-resolution video clip of a specific duration whenever the user captures a still image. As used herein, capturing a full-resolution image (e.g., a video image or a still image) can refer to capturing an image using the entire or substantially the entire pixel of the image sensor, or otherwise capturing an image using the maximum resolution of the camera (regardless of whether the maximum resolution is hardware- or software-limited).

[0157] The captured video clip can be associated with the still image. In some cases, the user may be able to select individual frames from the video clip as representative still images associated with the video clip. Thus, when the user takes a snapshot of a scene, the camera will actually record a short video clip (e.g., 1 second, 2 seconds, etc.), and the user can select an exact frame from the video to be used as the captured still image (in addition to simply viewing the video clip as a video).

[0158] The camera of the sensor array 141 can also have or provide a high dynamic range (HDR) mode in which the camera captures images with a dynamic luminance range greater than the luminance range captured when the camera is not in the HDR mode. In some cases, the sensor array 141 automatically determines whether to capture an image in the HDR mode or the non-HDR mode. Such determinations can be based on various factors such as the ambient light of the scene, the detected luminance range, the hue, or other optical parameters in the scene, etc. An HDR image can be produced by capturing multiple images, each using a different exposure or other image capture parameters, and generating a composite image from the multiple captured images.

[0159] The camera of the sensor array 141 can also include software-based color balance correction. For example, when a flash (e.g., flash 148) is used during image capture, the camera (and / or the associated processing functions of device 100) can adjust the image to compensate for the difference in color temperature between the flash output and the ambient illumination in the image. Thus, for example, if the background of the image has a different color temperature from the foreground subject (e.g., because the foreground subject is illuminated by the flash output), the camera can modify the background and / or foreground of the image to produce a more consistent color temperature across the image.

[0160] The sensor array 141 may also include or be configured to operate in an object detection mode, in which a user may select (and / or the device 100 may automatically identify) objects within a scene to facilitate processing, displaying, or capturing those objects in a manner different from other parts of the scene. For example, the user may select (or the device 100 may automatically identify) the face of a person within the scene, and the device 100 may focus on the face of the person while selectively blurring portions of the scene other than the face of the person. It is noted that features such as the HDR mode and the object detection mode may be provided with a single camera (e.g., a single lens and sensor).

[0161] The sensor array 141 may also include a depth sensing device 149 configured to estimate the distance between the device and a separate object or target. The depth sensing device 149 may use lasers and time-of-flight calculations or other types of depth sensing components or techniques to estimate the distance between the device and a separate object or target.

[0162] The device 100 may also include a flash 148 (e.g., a rear flash) configured to illuminate the scene to facilitate image capture with the cameras of the sensor array 141. The flash 148 may include one or more light sources, such as one or more light emitting diodes (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, or more LEDs). In some cases, the one or more light sources may illuminate in a plurality of different illumination patterns that, together with a lens positioned above the one or more light sources, may produce different illumination fields on a subject or scene. For example, the light sources may be segmented into a plurality of illuminable regions, where the illuminable regions are positioned below different regions of the lens. When a first illumination pattern is active (e.g., one or more central illuminable regions), the emitted light may pass through a first region of the lens (e.g., the central region) and produce a first illumination field on the subject or scene (e.g., a relatively narrow light distribution corresponding to the field of view of a telephoto lens). When a second illumination pattern is active (e.g., one or more peripheral illuminable regions), the emitted light may pass through a second region of the lens (e.g., the peripheral region) and produce a second illumination field on the subject or scene (e.g., a relatively wide light distribution corresponding to the field of view of a wide-angle lens). The flash 148 may be configured to produce two, three, or more different illumination fields, each field corresponding to the field of view of one of the cameras in the sensor array 141. Thus, for example, the flash 148 may produce a first illumination field corresponding to (e.g., substantially equal to or greater than) the field of view of the first camera 142, a second illumination field corresponding to (e.g., substantially equal to or greater than) the field of view of the second camera 144, and a third illumination field corresponding to (e.g., substantially equal to or greater than) the field of view of the third camera 146.

[0163] The sensor array 141 may also include a microphone 150. The microphone 150 may be acoustically coupled to the external environment through a hole defined in the rear cover of the device 100 (e.g., through the portion of the rear cover that defines the protrusion 151).

[0164] Figure 1C and Figure 1D Another example electronic device 140 embodied as a mobile phone is shown. The electronic device 140 may have many external components that are the same as or similar to those of the electronic device 100. Thus, descriptions and details of such components (e.g., display, buttons, switches, housing, cover, charging port, connector structure, etc.) from Figures 1A to 1B also apply equally to the corresponding components of Figure 1C and Figure 1D shown.

[0165] The device 140 may include a forward sensor region 113, which may generally correspond to the forward sensor region 111 in Figure 1A . The forward sensor region 113 may be located in an island region at the front of the device 140 and may be surrounded by the display region (e.g., the main display region) of the device 140. In some cases, as described herein, the forward sensor region 113 may be located in or defined by one or more holes formed through the display. In such cases, the perimeter of the forward sensor region 113 may be the active area or region of the display. In other words, the forward sensor region 113 may be completely surrounded by the active display region (e.g., the outer perimeter of the forward sensor region 113 may be surrounded by the active region of the display). In some cases, the forward sensor region 113 includes or is defined by one or more masks or other visually opaque components or processing methods that define the sensor openings of the forward sensor region 113. The forward sensor region 113 may include components such as an infrared illuminator module (which may include a flood illuminator and a point projector), an infrared image capture device, a proximity sensing system component, and a forward camera.

[0166] Although Figure 1B the device 100 in is shown as including a sensor array 141 having three cameras, the device 140 shown in Figure 1D has a sensor array 134 (e.g., a rear sensor array in the rear sensor array region) including two cameras 138, 139. The sensor array 134 may be located in a sensor array region defined by a protrusion 137 in the rear cover of the device 140. The protrusion 137 may define a raised sensor array region 163. Thus, the rear cover of the device may define a first portion of the rear outer surface of the device 140, and the protrusion 137 defines a second portion of the rear outer surface of the device (which is raised or protrudes relative to the first portion of the rear outer surface). The protrusion 137 may have the same asFigure 1B a structure that is the same as or similar to the protrusion 151 in [reference], but the protrusion 137 may have a different shape. For example, the protrusion 137 may be generally round, and two cameras may be accommodated along the y-direction of the device 140. The two cameras may be oriented along the y-direction.

[0167] The alignment of the two cameras 138, 139 along the y-direction (e.g., centered on a line extending along the y-direction) may facilitate the capture of stereoscopic images and / or videos (e.g., three-dimensional images and / or videos). For example, when the device 140 is held in a landscape or horizontal orientation during image capture, the alignment of the cameras along the y-direction positions the cameras horizontally. In such cases, the horizontal alignment of the cameras 138, 139 facilitates the capture of three-dimensional or stereoscopic images or videos. Such images or videos may be displayed in a head-mounted display or via other three-dimensional display technologies. In the case of a head-mounted display, the images and / or videos captured using the stereoscopic function of the cameras 138, 139 may be displayed as three-dimensional media. In some cases, the cameras 138, 139 may be used to capture a three-dimensional scan of an object, and the device 140 may generate a three-dimensional virtual model of the object for display using a head-mounted display or other visualization technologies.

[0168] The device 140 may further include one or more rearward devices as part of the sensor array 134, and the one or more rearward devices may include an ambient light sensor (ALS), a microphone port 135, and / or a depth sensing device configured to estimate the distance between the device 140 and a separate object or target.

[0169] The sensor array 134 may further include a plurality of cameras, such as a first camera 138 and a second camera 139. Thus, the sensor array 134 may include a camera array (which may include one or more cameras). The first camera 138 may include an ultra-wide-angle camera having a 12-megapixel sensor and an optical stack with a wide field of view (e.g., 120° FOV) with an aperture number of f / 2.4. The second camera 139 may include a wide-angle camera having a 48.8-megapixel sensor and an aperture number of f / 1.6. In some cases, the sensor array 134 may include a telephoto lens having a 12-megapixel sensor with 3x optical zoom with an aperture number in the range of f / 2.0 to f / 2.8 (e.g., in addition to the first camera 138 and the second camera 139, or instead of one of the first camera or the second camera). As described above, the camera (or camera lens) may be arranged along the y-direction of the device and positioned or set in the protrusion 137.

[0170] One or more of the cameras in the sensor array 134 (e.g., cameras 138, 139) may also include optical image stabilization, whereby the lens moves dynamically relative to a fixed structure within the device 140 to reduce the impact of "camera shake" on the images captured by the camera. These cameras may also perform optical image stabilization by moving the image sensor relative to a fixed lens or optical component. One or more of these cameras may include an autofocus function, where one or more lens elements (and / or sensors) may move to focus an image on the sensor.

[0171] The second camera 139 may have an image sensor with a pixel size between approximately 1.5 micrometers and approximately 2.0 micrometers, and the first camera 138 may have an image sensor with a pixel size between approximately 0.8 micrometers and approximately 1.4 micrometers. If a camera with a telephoto lens is provided, it may have an image sensor with a pixel size between approximately 0.8 micrometers and approximately 1.4 micrometers.

[0172] The sensor array 134 may also include a flash 136 (e.g., a rear flash). The flash 136 may include a multi-segment LED or a single LED or other light-emitting component. The flash 136 may be positioned outside the protrusion 137 (e.g., in a portion of the rear cover 154 that does not include the protrusion 137). In some cases, the flash 136 is positioned at a point intermediate (in the y-direction) between the first camera 138 and the second camera 139 and is offset from the cameras 138, 139 in the x-direction. In other examples, the flash 136 may be positioned in line with and between the cameras 138, 139 (e.g., in the protrusion 137). In other words, in some cases, the first camera 138, the flash 136, and the second camera 139 may be centered on a line extending in the y-direction.

[0173] The flash 136 and the microphone port 135 may be aligned with each other in the x-direction. For example, the flash 136 and the microphone port 135 may be centered on a line extending in the x-direction (which may be intermediate between the first camera 138 and the second camera 139).

[0174] In some cases, the microphone port 135 is positioned on the protrusion 137, and the microphone module inside the device is positioned outside the area defining the protrusion 137. In such cases, an internal port structure may transmit sound from the microphone port 135 on the protrusion to the microphone module within the device.

[0175] Other details regarding the sensor array, the individual cameras, and / or the flash as described with respect to the device 100 may apply to the sensor array, the individual cameras, and / or the flash of the device 140, and such details will not be repeated here to avoid redundancy.

[0176] Reference Figure 1D , the device 140 may include a back cover or rear cover 154 coupled to the housing 153 and defining at least a portion of the outer rear surface of the device 140. The rear cover 154 may be formed of or include an optically transmissive material. The optically transmissive material may be colored and, in some cases, may be a colored glass material. The color of the optically transmissive material may be characterized by one or more color space coordinates, which may be chromaticity values in some cases.

[0177] The rear cover 154 may include a substrate formed of an optically transmissive glass material, which may also be referred to herein as a rear cover member. The glass material may be a silica-based glass material, such as aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, alkali-containing aluminosilicate glass (e.g., lithium aluminosilicate glass). Other examples of optically transmissive materials for the rear cover 154 include, but are not limited to, sapphire, ceramics, glass ceramics, devitrifiable glass materials, and plastics (e.g., polycarbonate). The glass ceramic material may be a silica-based glass ceramic material, such as an aluminosilicate glass ceramic material or a borosilicate glass ceramic material. The glass or glass ceramic material may be chemically strengthened by ion exchange. The rear cover 154 may be formed as a single piece or monolithic sheet. The rear cover 154 may also be composed of multiple layers of different materials, coatings, and other elements.

[0178] In some examples, the outer surface of the rear cover may define different textures in different regions of the rear cover. In some cases, the different textures may produce different optical effects, such as a matte effect in a first region of the outer surface and a glossy effect in a second region of the outer surface. The difference between the matte effect and the glossy effect may be used to define a graphic, text, image, logo, etc. For example, a visible logo may be defined by a glossy region (logo shape) surrounded by a matte region.

[0179] The back cover 154 may include a coating on the outer surface of the substrate, the inner surface of the substrate, or both. The coating may contribute to the appearance of the back cover 154, such as color. For example, the coating along the inner surface of the substrate may include one or more color layers. The color layer may include a colorant, such as a pigment or a dye, and may have a distinct hue or may be a near-neutral color. In some examples, the color layer includes a polymer binder, which may be polyester-based, epoxy-based, polyurethane-based, or based on another suitable type of polymer or copolymer. Alternatively or additionally, the coating may include one or more opaque layers applied to the inner surface of the substrate (or otherwise positioned along the inner side of the substrate) to provide a specific appearance for the back of the device 140. The opaque layer may include a sheet, an ink, a dye, or a combination of these (or other) layers, materials, etc., and may be optically dense in some cases. In some cases, the color of the coating along the inner surface of the substrate and the color of the substrate itself (e.g., the color of the optically transmissive material defining the back cover substrate) together define the apparent color of the back of the device 140.

[0180] In some cases, the color presented by the coating on the back cover and / or the material of the back cover 154 itself is substantially matched to the color of the housing 153 (e.g., the outer surfaces of the housing components and the joint structure). In such cases, the coating on the back cover and the material of the back cover may have substantially matched colors, or they may have different colors.

[0181] The coating along the outer surface of the substrate may be an anti-stain (e.g., oleophobic) coating. The device 140 may include a wireless charging system, whereby power may be supplied to the device 140 and / or its battery may be charged through inductive (or other electromagnetic) coupling between a charger (e.g., a wireless charging accessory) and the wireless charging system within the device 140. In such cases, the back cover 154 may be formed of a material (e.g., glass) that permits and / or facilitates wireless coupling between the charger and the wireless charging system.

[0182] The housing 153 may have a similar construction to the housing 104. For example, the housing 104 may be a multi-piece housing formed of or including a plurality of housing components (e.g., Figures 1A to 1B the housing components 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, and 130 in Figures 1A to 1B ) that are structurally coupled together via one or more intermediate elements such as joint structures (e.g., 122-1 to 122-6, Figure 1Ca first lateral sidewall visible in (e.g., Figure 1D a second lateral sidewall visible in). Thus, both the housing component and the joint structure define portions of the outer surface of the device 140.

[0183] The housing component of the housing 153 may be formed of a conductive material (e.g., metal), and the joint structure may be formed of one or more polymeric materials (e.g., glass-reinforced polymer). The joint structure may include two or more molded elements that may be formed of different materials. For example, an inner molded element may be formed of a first material (e.g., polymeric material), and an outer molded element may be formed of a second material different from the first material (e.g., a different polymeric material). These materials may have different properties that may be selected based on the different functions of the inner and outer molded elements. For example, the inner molded element may be configured to form a primary structural connection between the housing components and may have a higher mechanical strength and / or toughness than the outer molded element. On the other hand, the outer molded element may be configured to have a particular appearance, surface finish, chemical resistance, waterproof function, etc., and its composition may be selected to prioritize those functions over mechanical strength. The joint structure may mechanically interlock with the housing components to structurally couple the housing components and form a structural housing assembly.

[0184] The housing component of the housing 153 may be formed of a single-metal structure or a cladding structure including multiple materials. As an example of a single-metal structure, the housing component may be formed of aluminum. As an example cladding structure, the housing component may include a core portion formed of a first metal and a cladding portion formed of a second metal. The cladding portion may define the outer surface of the housing component. The outer surface defined by the cladding portion may have a surface texture that produces a particular visual appearance and / or tactile feel. For example, the surface texture may have a texture that produces diffuse reflection. The surface texture may be produced by grinding, polishing, machining, ablation, sandblasting (e.g., sandblasting, shot peening), etching (via mechanical etching, laser etching, chemical etching), or any other suitable texturing operation. The outer surface of the housing component may also include a coating, such as a deposited coating. In some cases, the cladding portion is polished. The deposited coating may be deposited on the housing component via plasma vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), etc.

[0185] In the case of a cladding structure, the core portion of the housing component may be aluminum (e.g., aluminum alloy), and the cladding portion may be titanium (e.g., titanium alloy). In some cases, the core portion of the housing component is aluminum and the cladding portion is stainless steel. The cladding portion may have an average thickness between about 0.1 mm and about 1.0 mm. The aluminum of the housing may include recycled aluminum (e.g., up to 70% recycled aluminum, up to 85% recycled aluminum, or another value).

[0186] Device 140 may also include one or more buttons (e.g., Figure 1C buttons 152 and 155 in Figure 1D and buttons 156 and 157 in

[0187] ), switches, and / or other physical input systems. Such input systems can be used to control the power state (e.g., button 152), control applications (e.g., button 155), change the speaker volume (e.g., button 156), switch between "ringing" mode and "silent" mode (e.g., button 157), etc. Buttons 152, 156, 155, and 157 may include a strain sensing system that detects an input to the button based on detected strain. Buttons 152, 156, 155, and 157 may also be associated with a haptic actuation system that generates a haptic output in response to detecting strain that meets a condition. Thus, for example, when strain or force that meets a condition (and / or an electrical parameter indicative of strain that meets a condition) is detected, the haptic actuation system can apply a force to the button to generate a haptic output (e.g., similar to a "click" sound). This haptic output or response can provide haptic feedback to the user indicating that the input has been recognized by the device.The buttons 152, 156, 155, and 157 can be implementations of the above-described buttons 116, 118, 120, and 121 or otherwise correspond to the above-described buttons, and the description of these buttons will be understood to apply equally to buttons 152, 156, 155, and 157. In some cases, one or more of the buttons 152, 156, 155, and 157 can use a switch member (such as a collapsible dome switch) to detect button presses. Such dome switches can be used in place of strain-based sensing systems or other non-binary force sensing systems. However, in some cases, in addition to a strain-based sensing system or non-binary force sensing system in a given button, a dome switch or other collapsible or tactile switch can also be used. In such cases, the button can facilitate detecting binary or momentary inputs while also detecting the magnitude of the force applied to the button. In such cases, the device 100 can perform different operations in response to detecting a binary or momentary input and in response to detecting a force that meets a condition. More specifically, the user can provide partial actuation of the button, where a force is applied but the switch does not collapse. The device 100 can perform one or more operations in response to detecting partial actuation of the button (e.g., in response to detecting a force that meets a condition). The user can then provide full actuation of the button, where the force is increased until the switch is actuated or otherwise records the input (e.g., the dome switch collapses). The device 100 can perform one or more additional operations in response to detecting switch actuation. As a non-limiting example, when the device 100 is operating in an image capture mode, the button can be used to provide input to the device 100. In such cases, partial actuation can cause the device 100 to initiate a focusing operation or lock an exposure setting for image capture. When full actuation is detected (e.g., a binary or momentary switch is actuated), the device 100 can capture an image using one of the on-board cameras in the on-board camera. Other functions can also be initiated in response to partial and / or full actuation of the button, including other image capture functions or other device or application functions. For example, partial actuation can initiate a scrolling operation (e.g., scrolling through items in a displayed list), and full actuation can initiate selection of a selected item in the list. In some cases, the button 155 of the device 140 includes both a dome switch (or other binary or momentary type switch) and a strain-based sensing system. In some cases, one or more other buttons of the device 140 include both a dome switch (or other binary or momentary type switch) and a strain-based sensing system.

[0188] In some cases, one or more of the buttons 152, 156, 155, and 157 can detect input using a touch sensing system, such as a capacitive touch sensing system. For example, the button member of the button (e.g., the movable part that the user presses to actuate the button or provide input to the button) can include a touch sensing element positioned thereon. Buttons equipped with touch sensing elements can detect various types of touch-based input, including static touch input (e.g., a finger touching the touch-sensitive button surface), dynamic touch input (e.g., a finger sliding along the touch-sensitive button surface, also known as a gesture or swipe input), etc.

[0189] In some cases, the button 155 can include a touch sensing element 161 to detect such touch-based input. The device 140 can perform various operations in response to detecting touch-based input. Continuing with the above example, when the device 140 is operating in the image capture mode, a static touch input can initiate a focus or exposure lock operation, while a dynamic or swipe touch input can initiate a zoom operation (e.g., swiping in one direction can initiate a zoom-in operation, and swiping in the opposite direction can initiate a zoom-out operation).

[0190] In some cases, the touch sensing element 161 can detect the position of the touch input on the button 155 during button actuation, and the device can perform different actions based on the position of the touch. For example, if the button 155 is actuated by a press input at a first position on the button 155 (e.g., at one end of the button 155, as detected by the touch sensing element 161), the device can perform a first action (e.g., a zoom-in operation), and if the button 155 is actuated by a press input at a second position on the button 155 (e.g., at the opposite end of the button 155, as detected by the touch sensing element 161), the device can perform a second action different from the first action (e.g., a zoom-out operation).

[0191] In some cases, the touch sensing element 161 can detect whether the input to the button 155 is applied with a single finger or two fingers, and can perform different operations in response. For example, if the button 155 is actuated with a single finger (as detected by the touch sensing element 161), the device can perform a first action (e.g., capture a single image), and if the button 155 is actuated with multiple fingers (as detected by the touch sensing element 161), the device can perform a second action different from the first action (e.g., capture a series of images during the duration of actuation, or initiate a video capture operation).

[0192] Other sensing techniques can also be used to detect input to the button. In some cases, switches or other input devices are used instead of one or more buttons.

[0193] As described above, button 155 may be force-sensitive and / or pressure-sensitive (e.g., capable of detecting variable force inputs), and may generate multiple controls or outputs based on the amount of force input, the presence of a touch, the location of the touch, and the movement of the touch (gesture). The specific operation initiated in response to any given button input may vary according to the amount of force applied (e.g., be proportional to the amount of force applied). In some cases, force-based inputs may suppress an action or be ignored by the device in the absence of a detected touch input at the touch sensing element 161. Button 155 may also be paired with one or more other buttons for specifying an operation or command (e.g., the device may perform certain operations in response to detecting simultaneous inputs at multiple buttons or certain input sequences at multiple buttons).

[0194] As described in several of the above examples, button 155 may be operable to initiate or control image capture functions and operations. For example, a light touch of button 155 (e.g., a touch input sensed in the absence of force or in the presence of a force that meets a first force condition corresponding to a slight deflection of the button) may initiate focus and metering operations, and a greater force or deflection of the button (e.g., meeting a second force condition) may initiate an image or video capture operation. Additionally, different haptic outputs may be generated in response to detecting different inputs at button 155 and / or in response to different operations initiated by button inputs.

[0195] Other example image manipulation and / or camera function controls that may be initiated by an input (force and / or touch input) to button 155 may include: zooming in or out in response to a swipe input in different directions on the button surface; increasing or decreasing the volume output in response to a swipe input in different directions on the button surface; capturing a single image or a series of multiple images in response to different force inputs (e.g., for a light press, a single image; for a more forceful press, multiple images). In such cases, different haptic outputs may be generated in response to detecting different inputs at button 155 and / or in response to different operations initiated by button inputs.

[0196] Button 155 can also cause the device to perform other functions that are associated with the operation of the device or are set in response to operations of specific applications or usage patterns on the phone. For example, an input to button 155 can cause the device to perform operations such as: select one or more warning suppression (mute) modes; verify a purchase or verify an application command; control a timer command, including operations related to a watch; provide input to a game, such as throttle control or other continuously variable input; initiate a hard reset and / or soft reset of the device; initiate user-programmable operations; and initiate or terminate an application. In some cases, the specific operations of the button can be user-programmable or selectable. For example, the user can select what function or operation to initiate in response to various force inputs, gesture inputs, and touch inputs. The user can also establish different input schemes for different device modes. For example, the user can map force, touch, and gesture inputs to a first set of functions when the device is operating in a first mode (e.g., when a first application is being executed), and can map force, touch, and gesture inputs to a second set of functions when the device is operating in a second mode (e.g., when a second application is being executed).

[0197] In some cases, the operation of button 155 can be changed based on the orientation of the device. For example, if the device is held in a vertical or "portrait" orientation, force, touch, and gesture inputs can be mapped to a first set of functions, and if the device is held in a horizontal or "landscape" orientation, force, touch, and gesture inputs can be mapped to a second set of functions.

[0198] Button 155 can also be used to initiate stereoscopic image or video capture. In some cases, the selection of the stereoscopic image capture mode (or switching between the stereoscopic image mode and the non-stereoscopic image mode) can be controlled by the operation of button 155 or other device inputs (e.g., other buttons, touch screen inputs, etc.). In some cases, the ability to select the stereoscopic image mode (or switch between the stereoscopic image mode and other image modes) with button 155 can depend on the orientation of the device.

[0199] Figure 2 A exploded view of an example electronic device is depicted. Specifically, Figure 2 An exploded view of device 200 is depicted, which shows the various components of device 200 and an example arrangement and configuration of these components. Device 200 can be an embodiment of device 100, and Figure 1A and Figure 1B the descriptions of the various components and elements of device 100 can also apply to Figure 2 the depicted device 200. For the sake of clarity, redundant descriptions of some components are not repeated herein.

[0200] As Figure 2As shown, device 200 includes a cover 202 (e.g., a front cover) that may be formed of or include a transparent or optically transmissive material. In some cases, cover 202 is formed of or includes a glass material and may thus be referred to as a glass cover member. The glass material may be a silica-based glass material, aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, alkali-containing aluminosilicate glass (e.g., lithium aluminosilicate glass), or chemically strengthened glass. Other example materials for cover 202 include, but are not limited to, sapphire, ceramics, glass ceramics, devitrifiable glass materials, and plastics (e.g., polycarbonate). Cover 202 may be formed as a single piece or monolithic sheet. Cover 202 may also be formed as a composite of multiple layers of different materials, coatings, and other elements. In this example, cover 202 may be formed of a glass ceramic material. The glass ceramic material may include an amorphous phase and a crystalline or non-amorphous phase of one or more materials and may be formulated to improve the strength or other properties of cover 202. The glass ceramic material may be a silica-based glass ceramic material, such as an aluminosilicate glass ceramic material or a borosilicate glass ceramic material. The glass ceramic material may be chemically strengthened by ion exchange. In some cases, cover 202 may include a sheet of chemically strengthened glass or glass ceramic or an optical treatment element having one or more coatings that include an anti-reflection (AR) coating, an oleophobic coating, or other types of coatings. In some cases, cover 202 includes a sheet of material having a thickness less than 1 mm. In some cases, the sheet of material is less than 0.80 mm. In some cases, the sheet of material is about 0.60 mm or thinner. An ion exchange process may be used to chemically strengthen cover 202 to form a compressive stress layer along the outer surface of cover 202.

[0201] Cover 202 extends over substantially the entire front surface of the device and may be positioned within an opening defined by the housing structure 210. As detailed below, the edge or sides of cover 202 may be surrounded by a protective flange or lip of housing structure 210 with no gap member between the edge of cover 202 and the corresponding flange of housing structure 210. This configuration may enable an impact or force applied to housing structure 210 to be transferred to cover 202 without directly transmitting shear stress through display 203 or frame 204.

[0202] As Figure 2As shown, the display 203 is coupled to the inner surface of the cover 202. The display 203 may include a borderless organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display with a corner-to-corner size of 6.86 inches or a corner-to-corner size of 6.27 inches. The perimeter or inactive area of the display 203 can be reduced to allow for a very thin device border around the active area of the display 203. In some cases, the display 203 allows for a border area of 1.5 mm or thinner. In some cases, the display 203 allows for a border area of 1 mm or thinner. In one exemplary implementation, the border area is approximately 0.9 mm. The display 203 may have a relatively high pixel density of approximately 460 pixels per inch (PPI) or greater. The display 203 may use a low-temperature polysilicon (LTPS) or low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) backplane.

[0203] The display 203 may have an integrated (on-cell) touch sensing system. For example, an array of electrodes (or other touch sensing components) integrated into the OLED display may be time and / or frequency multiplexed to provide both display and touch sensing functionality. The electrodes may be configured to detect touch locations, gesture inputs, multi-touch inputs, or other types of touch inputs along the outer surface of the cover 202. In some cases, the display 203 includes another type of display element, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) without an integrated touch sensing system. That is, the device 200 may include one or more touch and / or force sensing components or layers positioned between the display 203 and the cover 202.

[0204] The display 203 (also referred to as the display stack) may include an always-on display (AOD) function. For example, the display 203 may be configured to allow a subset of designated areas or pixels to be displayed when the device 200 is powered on, such that graphical content is visible to the user even when the device 200 is in a low power or sleep mode. This may allow for the display of time, date, battery status, recent notifications, and other graphical content in a low power or sleep mode. This graphical content may be referred to as persistent or always-on graphical output. Although some battery power may be consumed when displaying persistent or always-on graphical output, the power consumption is generally less than the power consumption during normal or full power operation of the display 203. This function may be enabled by operating only a subset of the display pixels and / or by operating at a reduced resolution in order to reduce the power consumption of the display 203.

[0205] The display 203 may include multiple layers, including a touch sensing layer or component, an optional force sensing layer or component, a display layer, etc. The display 203 may define a graphic active area in which a graphic output may be displayed. In some cases, portions of the display 203 may include a graphic inactive area, such as portions of the display layer that do not include active display components or are otherwise not configured to display a graphic output (e.g., pixels). In some cases, the graphic inactive area may be located along a peripheral boundary or other edge of the display stack 203.

[0206] As Figure 2 shown, the device 200 may include a molded frame member 204 (also simply referred to as the molded frame 204), which is positioned below the cover 202 and extends around at least one outer perimeter of the display 203. The molded frame 204 may at least partially encapsulate the edge of the display 203 and may define structural features that provide strength and stiffness to the cover 202 and the display 203 and serve as a mounting structure to couple the cover 202 to the housing (e.g., the housing structure 210).

[0207] The molded frame 204 may be made by molding a moldable material onto a subassembly that includes the cover 202, the display 203, and optional other structural components. The subassembly may be positioned in a mold or other fixture, and then the flowable material may be introduced into the mold cavity such that the material flows around the edge of the display 203, contacts the inner surface of the cover 202, and optionally engages other components of the subassembly (e.g., a backplane that covers the display 203 and serves as a shield and / or support structure for the display and the cover). Then, the flowable material hardens to form the molded frame 204. After hardening, the molded frame 204 (e.g., a overmolded frame) will be fixed (e.g., via mechanical interlocking and / or adhesive bonding) to the display 203, the cover 202, and other components of the subassembly.

[0208] The molded frame 204 may be attached to the lower surface or inner surface of the cover 202. A portion of the molded frame 204 may extend below the display 203 and may attach the cover 202 to the housing structure 210. Since the display 203 is attached to the lower surface or inner surface of the cover 202, the molded frame 204 may also be described as attaching both the display 203 and the cover 202 to the housing structure 210.

[0209] The cover 202, the display stack 203, and the molded frame 204 may be part of a front cover assembly 201 of the device 200. The front cover assembly 201 (more specifically, the cover 202 of the front cover assembly 201) may define the front outer surface of the device. The cover 202 may define an inner surface opposite the outer surface.

[0210] The front cover assembly 201 can be assembled as a sub-assembly, which can then be attached to the housing component. For example, as described herein, the display 203 can be attached to the cover 202 (e.g., via a transparent adhesive), and the molded frame 204 can be formed around the perimeter of the display stack 203. Then, the front cover assembly 201 can be attached to the housing component of the device 200 by mounting and adhering the molded frame 204 to the protrusion defined by the housing component.

[0211] The device 200 also includes a speaker module 250 that is configured to output sound via a speaker port. The speaker port can be located in and / or at least partially defined by a recess in the cover 202. As described herein, a decorative piece can be at least partially located in the recess to facilitate sound output while also inhibiting debris, liquid, or other materials or contaminants from entering the device 200. The output from the speaker module 250 can pass through an audio channel or acoustic path that is at least partially defined by the speaker module 250 itself and the decorative piece. In some cases, a portion of the acoustic path (e.g., between the speaker module 250 and the decorative piece) is defined by the housing structure 210 and / or a molded material coupled to the housing structure 210. For example, the molded material (e.g., a fiber-reinforced polymer) can be molded against a metallic portion of the housing structure 210 (e.g., the housing component 213 described herein). The molded material can also form one or more intermediate elements such as joint structures (e.g., joint structure 218), which also structurally join the housing components together. A port or channel (e.g., a tubular tunnel) can be defined through the molded material to more generally acoustically couple the speaker module 250 to the decorative piece and / or the recess, thereby guiding sound from the speaker module 250 to the exterior of the device 200.

[0212] As Figure 2As shown, device 200 also includes one or more cameras, optical transmitters, and / or sensing elements configured to emit signals, receive signals, or otherwise operate along the front surface of the device. In this example, device 200 includes a front camera 206, which includes a high-resolution camera sensor. The front camera 206 may have a 12-megapixel resolution sensor with optics that provide a fixed focus and an 85° field of view and an f / 1.9 aperture number. The front camera 206 may include an autofocus function, where one or more of the lens elements move (e.g., perpendicular to the cover by up to about 100 microns) to focus an image on the camera's sensor. In some cases, the autofocus front camera is capable of providing continuous autofocus functionality during video capture. Device 200 also includes an optical face recognition system 252, which includes an infrared light projector (for projecting light) and an infrared light sensor configured to sense an array or region of depth points along the user's face. The array of depth points may be characterized as a unique feature or biometric identifier that can be used to identify and / or authenticate the user and unlock device 200 (and / or authorize functions on device 200, such as purchasing software applications or using payment functions provided by device 200).

[0213] Device 200 may also include one or more other sensors or components. For example, device 200 may include a front light illuminator element for providing flash or illumination for front camera 206. Device 200 may also include an ambient light sensor (ALS) for detecting ambient light conditions for setting exposure aspects of the front camera 206 and / or for controlling the operation of the display. Device 200 may also include a proximity sensing system 253 for detecting the proximity of a user or other object to device 200. In some cases, as described herein, proximity sensing system 253 detects proximity to other objects through the active area of the display. Proximity sensing system 253 and optical face recognition system 252 may be integrated in a common module. In some cases, information from the proximity sensing system and the ambient light sensor may be used to determine ambient light conditions and / or the proximity of an object to device 200. For example, information from the proximity sensing system may be used to determine whether low ambient light detected by the ambient light sensor is due to low ambient light or due to an object (e.g., a finger providing a touch input or a palm during typing input) partially or temporarily covering the ambient light sensor. Information from these two sensing systems may be used to eliminate potential ambiguous conditions and generally improve the accuracy of the device in sensing or detecting specific conditions.

[0214] The display 203 may include one or more holes extending through the display to accommodate the front camera 206, the face recognition system 252, the proximity sensing system 253, and optionally other front-facing sensors or other components. In some cases, the display 203 includes two holes, including a first hole for the front camera 206 and a second hole for the face recognition system 252 and the proximity sensing system 253. In some cases, the display 203 includes one hole (e.g., a single hole shared by the front camera 206 and the face recognition system 252). In some cases, the display 203 includes three holes (e.g., a first hole for the front camera 206, a second hole for the emitter of the face recognition system 252 and optionally the proximity sensing system 253, and a third hole for the receiver of the face recognition system 252).

[0215] Figure 2 Also illustrated are one or more cameras, optical emitters, and / or sensing elements configured to emit signals, receive signals, or otherwise operate along the rear surface of the device. As Figure 2 depicted, these elements may be integrated in the sensor array 260. In this example, the sensor array 260 (or camera array) includes a first camera 263 having a 12-megapixel sensor and a telephoto lens with 3x optical zoom (or 5x optical zoom) and an f-number of f / 2.8. The sensor array 260 also includes a second camera 262 having a 48.8-megapixel sensor and a wide-angle lens with an f-number of f / 1.7. The sensor array 260 may also include a third camera 261 having a 48-megapixel sensor and an ultra-wide-angle camera with a wide field of view (e.g., 120° FOV) and an f-number of f / 2.2. The first camera, the second camera, and the third camera may include lens-based or sensor-based image stabilization.

[0216] The sensor array 260 also includes an optical illuminator that can be used as a flash or auxiliary light source for photography (e.g., a flashlight). In some cases, the sensor array 260 also includes a microphone, an ambient light sensor, and other sensors suitable for sensing along the rear surface of the device 200.

[0217] The sensor array 260 may also include a depth sensing device 281 (which may correspond to or be the depth sensing device 149 described herein) Figure 1B) or any other implementation of a depth sensing device), which is capable of estimating the distance to an object located behind the device 200. The depth sensing device 281 may include an optical sensor that uses time-of-flight or other optical effects to measure the distance between the device 200 and an external object. The depth sensing device 281 may include one or more optical transmitters adapted to emit one or more light beams, which may be used to estimate the distance. In some cases, the one or more light beams are coherent light beams having a substantially uniform wavelength / frequency. A coherent light source may facilitate depth measurement using time-of-flight, phase shift, or other optical effects. In some cases, the depth sensing device 281 uses sound output, radio output, or other types of output that can be used to measure the distance between the device 200 and one or more external objects. The depth sensing device 281 may be positioned near a window (e.g., an area of the rear cover 272 or other components that cover the sensor array 260), through which the depth sensing device 281 may transmit and / or receive signals (e.g., laser, infrared light, visible light, etc.).

[0218] As Figure 2 shown, the cameras 261, 262, 263 may be aligned with the camera covers 266, 267, 268, respectively. The covers 266, 267, 268 may be formed of glass or sapphire material and may provide a clear (e.g., transparent or optically transmissive) window through which the cameras 261, 262, 263 are capable of capturing photographic images. In other cases, the covers 266, 267, 268 are optical lenses that filter, magnify, or otherwise condition the light received by the respective cameras 261, 262, 263. Other sensing or transmitting elements of the sensor array 260 may transmit and / or receive signals through an area of the rear cover 272 or through a separate cover coupled to the rear cover 272. As Figure 2 shown, the covers 266, 267, 268 may extend beyond the outer surface of the cover 272 and may define recesses along the inner side of the cover 272 such that the lenses or other elements of the cameras 261, 262, 263 may extend into the respective recesses. In this way, the device 200 may accommodate larger lenses or other elements of the cameras 261, 262, 263 compared to what might be accommodated without the recesses provided. In some cases, the decorative assembly 269 may be coupled to the rear cover 272 and may support the covers 266, 267, 268.

[0219] Device 200 also includes a battery 230. The battery 230 provides power to the device 200 and its various systems and components. The battery 230 may include a 4.45V lithium-ion battery encapsulated in a rigid metal housing (or a flexible foil defining a pouch). The battery 230 may include a wound electrode configuration, sometimes referred to as a "jelly roll" or a folded or stacked electrode configuration. In the case of a rigid metal housing, the housing may include two housing parts, where the two parts define an internal volume encapsulating the electrodes and an electrolyte (e.g., a liquid) or another suitable battery formulation. The first and second parts of the housing may be attached together by welding, brazing, soldering, adhesives, or other suitable attachment techniques. In some cases, the battery housing defines one or more through-terminals to allow conductive coupling to an internal electrode (e.g., the positive electrode). In some cases, the battery housing is conductively coupled to an internal electrode (e.g., the negative electrode), and the battery housing itself serves as the negative electrode or "common" electrode of the power supply circuit of the device 200.

[0220] The battery 230 may be attached to the device 200 (e.g., attached to the chassis section 219, which may also be referred to as the intermediate chassis section or simply the chassis) using one or more adhesives and / or other attachment techniques. In one example, the battery 230 may be attached to the chassis section 219 or another structure of the device 200 using an electro-debondable adhesive (e.g., an adhesive whose adhesive strength can be selectively reduced in response to an electric charge). In such cases, the adhesive may include conductive terminals that contact the electro-debondable adhesive. When a current is applied (e.g., by a user during a battery replacement operation) to the electro-debondable adhesive (EDA), the adhesive strength of the adhesive may be reduced until the battery is released from the adhesive and / or the chassis section 219, or until the adhesive strength is low enough such that the battery can be easily removed by the user (e.g., without damaging the battery or other device components).

[0221] The battery 230 may be charged via the charging port 232 (e.g., by a charging cable that is inserted into the charging port 232 through the charging access opening 226), and / or via the wireless charging system 240. The battery 230 may be coupled to the charging port 232 and / or the wireless charging system 240 via a battery control circuit that controls the power supplied to the battery and the power supplied by the battery to the device 200. The battery 230 may include one or more lithium-ion battery cells or any other suitable type of rechargeable battery element. The charging port 232 may be or may include a connector module.

[0222] The wireless charging system 240 may include a coil inductively coupled to an output or transmission coil of a wireless charger. The coil may provide current to device 200 to charge battery 230 and / or power the device. In this example, the wireless charging system 240 includes a coil assembly 242 that includes a multi-turn conductive wire or other conduit configured to generate current (charging current) in response to being placed in an inductive charging electromagnetic field generated by a separate wireless charging device or accessory. The coil assembly 242 also includes or is associated with an array of magnetic elements arranged in a circular or radial pattern. The magnetic elements may assist in positioning device 200 relative to a separate wireless charging device or other accessory. In some embodiments, the magnet array also assists in radially positioning, orienting, or "rotating" device 200 relative to a separate wireless charging device or other accessory. For example, the magnet array may include a plurality of magnetic elements having alternating magnetic polarities arranged in a radial pattern. The magnetic elements may be arranged to provide magnetic coupling to a separate charging device in a particular orientation or a set of discrete orientations to assist in positioning device 200 relative to the separate charging device or other accessory. This functionality may be described as self-aligning or self-positioning wireless charging. As Figure 2 shown, device 200 also includes a magnetic reference 244 for assisting in positioning a separate wireless charging device or accessory. In one example, the magnetic reference 244 is designed to magnetically couple to a separate wireless charging device or other accessory. By coupling to the separate wireless charging device / accessory, the rotational alignment of device 200 and the separate wireless charging device / accessory can be maintained relative to an absolute or single position. Moreover, by magnetically coupling the charging device / accessory to the rear surface of device 200, the charging device or other accessory can be more firmly coupled to device 200.

[0223] In some embodiments, the wireless charging system 240 includes an antenna or other element for detecting the presence of a charging device or other accessory. In some cases, the charging system includes a near field communication (NFC) antenna adapted to receive and / or transmit wireless communication between device 200 and a wireless charger or other accessory. In some cases, device 200 is adapted to perform wireless communication to detect or sense the presence of a wireless charger or other accessory without using a dedicated NFC antenna. The communication may also include information about the state of the device, the amount of power held by battery 230, and / or control signals for increasing charging, decreasing charging, starting charging, and / or stopping charging for wireless charging operations.

[0224] The wireless charging system 240 may also include one or more graphite layers (or other thermally conductive layers) that improve the thermal performance of the wireless charging system 240 and / or the device itself. For example, the graphite layer on the wireless charging system 240 may spread and / or distribute heat from the coil during a charging operation. In some cases, the graphite layer may absorb and spread heat from other components such as the battery 230.

[0225] The device 200 may also include a speaker system 224. The speaker system 224 may be positioned within the device 200 such that the corresponding port 225 is aligned with or otherwise proximate to the audio output of the speaker system 224. Thus, the sound output by the speaker system 224 exits the housing structure 210 via the corresponding port 225. The speaker system 224 may include a speaker positioned within a housing that defines a speaker volume (e.g., an empty space in front of or behind the speaker diaphragm). The speaker volume may be used to tune the audio output from the speaker and optionally mitigate destructive interference of the sound generated by the speaker.

[0226] The device 200 may also include a haptic actuator 222. The haptic actuator 222 may include a movable mass and an actuation system configured to move the mass to generate a haptic output. The actuation system may include one or more coils and one or more magnets (e.g., permanent magnets and / or electromagnets) that interact to produce motion. The magnet may be or may include recycled magnetic material.

[0227] When the coil is energized, the coil may cause the mass to move, which results in a force being applied to the device 200. The movement of the mass may be configured to cause a vibration, pulse, tap, or other haptic output detectable via the outer surface of the device 200. The haptic actuator 222 may be configured to move the mass linearly, but other movements (e.g., rotational) are also contemplated. The mass may move along the x direction. As an alternative or supplement to the haptic actuator 222, other types of haptic actuators may be used.

[0228] In some cases, the haptic actuator 222 is configured to produce a first haptic output in response to the device detecting that a force input applied to a button (e.g., a button having a strain sensing element or other force sensing element) meets a force threshold, and is also configured to produce a second haptic output in response to a notification event (e.g., an event associated with a haptic notification, or an event in which the device produces a haptic output when it occurs). Thus, the same haptic actuator 222 may be used to produce haptics for notification, as well as to simulate a button press or otherwise indicate that an input meeting the force threshold has been received.

[0229] Device 200 also includes a circuit board assembly 220. The circuit board assembly 220 may include a substrate and a processor, a memory, and other circuit elements coupled to the substrate. The circuit board assembly 220 may include a plurality of circuit substrates that are stacked and coupled together to maximize the area available for electronic components and circuits in a compact form factor. The circuit board assembly 220 may include means for a subscriber identity module (SIM). The circuit board assembly 220 may include electrical contacts and / or a SIM tray assembly for receiving a physical SIM card, and / or the circuit board assembly 220 may include means for an eSIM. In the case of using an eSIM, device 200 may omit the SIM tray (e.g., the device may not include an opening, tray, slot, door, or other mechanical means for inserting or otherwise accessing the SIM). The circuit board assembly 220 may be fully or partially encapsulated to reduce the chance of damage due to the ingress of water or other fluids. As described herein, a heat bridge may be applied to the circuit board assembly 220 to help transfer heat from the circuit board assembly 220 to other areas or components of device 200 (e.g., to the chassis section 219). The heat bridge may include graphite-wrapped foam or a graphite-coated ring, where the ring or foam structure maintains contact between the graphite (which provides thermal conductivity) and the circuit board assembly 220 and other components.

[0230] The circuit board assembly 220 may also include wireless communication circuitry that may be operably coupled to the housing components 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, or 216 (or portions thereof) and / or otherwise use these housing components (or portions thereof) as radiating elements to provide wireless communication. The circuit board assembly 220 may also include components such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a near field communication circuit and / or antenna, a compass, etc. In some embodiments, the circuit board assembly 220 may include a magnetometer adapted to detect and / or locate an accessory. For example, the magnetometer may be adapted to detect a magnetic (or non-magnetic) signal generated by an accessory of device 200 or another device. The output of the magnetometer may include a direction output that may be used to display a direction marker or other navigation guidance on the display 203 to direct a user towards the location of the accessory or other device.

[0231] Device 200 may also include one or more pressure transducers that may be operable to detect changes in external pressure to determine changes in altitude. The pressure sensors may be external ports and / or located within the internal volume of the water seal of the housing structure 210. The output of the pressure sensors may be used to track the steps climbed, the location (e.g., floor) of a multi-story structure, the movements performed during an activity to estimate physical exertion or calories burned or other relative movement of device 200. The pressure transducers may be located in module 237 that is in fluid communication with the external environment through port 225 in housing structure 210. Module 237 may include additional components such as a microphone and a barometric vent (e.g., to allow pressure equalization between the interior of device 200 and the external environment while inhibiting water entry).

[0232] The circuit board assembly 220 may also include global positioning system (GPS) electronics that may be used to determine the location of device 200 relative to one or more satellites (e.g., global navigation satellite system (GNSS)) to estimate the absolute location of device 200. In some embodiments, the GPS electronics are operable to utilize dual bands. For example, the GPS electronics may use L1 (L1C), L2 (L2C), L5, L1+L5, and other GPS signal bands to estimate the location of device 200.

[0233] As Figure 2As shown, the housing may include a cover 272 (e.g., a back cover or rear cover 272) that may define substantially the entire rear surface of the device 200. The rear cover 272, the front cover 202, and the housing structure 210 may at least partially define a housing of the device 200, and the housing may define an internal volume in which the components of the device 200 are located. The cover 272 may be formed of or include a transparent or optically transmissive material. For example, the cover 272 may include a substrate formed of a glass material or other suitable material (e.g., a silica-based glass material, aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, alkali-containing aluminosilicate glass, chemically strengthened glass, sapphire, ceramic, glass-ceramic, devitrifiable glass material, or plastic). The glass-ceramic material may be a silica-based glass-ceramic material, such as an aluminosilicate glass-ceramic material or a borosilicate glass-ceramic material. The glass-ceramic material may be chemically strengthened by ion exchange. The substrate may have a portion less than 1 mm thick. In some cases, the substrate has a portion less than 0.80 mm. In some cases, the substrate has a portion about 0.60 mm or thinner. The cover 272 may have a uniform thickness, or in some cases, may have a thickened or raised portion around the camera covers 266, 267, 268. The cover 272 may be machined (e.g., ground) into a final shape before being polished and / or textured to provide a desired surface finish. The texture may be specifically configured to provide a matte appearance while also resisting the accumulation of skin, lint, or other debris.

[0234] The cover 272 may be formed of a colored optically transmissive material and may include a coating along the inner side of the cover 272 that, together with the color (or lack thereof) of the optically transmissive material, defines the color of the rear side of the device. For example, the coating along the inner surface of the cover may include one or more color layers. The color layer may include a colorant, such as a pigment or dye, and may have a distinct hue or may be a near-neutral color. Alternatively or additionally, the coating may include one or more opaque layers applied to the inner surface of the substrate (or otherwise positioned along the inner side of the substrate) to provide a particular appearance for the back of the device. The opaque layer may include a sheet, ink, dye, or a combination of these (or other) layers, materials, etc., and in some cases may be optically dense.

[0235] The cover 272 may be part of a rear cover assembly 273. The rear cover assembly 273 may be coupled to the housing structure 210. In some cases, the rear cover assembly 273 includes components such as camera covers 266, 267, 268, a decorative assembly (e.g., decorative assembly 269), components of a wireless charging system, structural components (e.g., a frame), mounting clips, and / or other components, systems, subsystems, and / or materials. The rear cover assembly 273 may be removable from the housing structure 210 to facilitate repair and / or replacement of the rear cover assembly 273 and / or the internal components of the device 200.

[0236] The rear cover assembly 273 may include a support plate 283 coupled to the inner surface of the rear cover 272. The support plate 283 may be coupled to the inner surface of the rear cover via an adhesive.

[0237] The support plate 283 may be formed of metal and may define a structural mounting surface for components of the rear cover assembly 273 (e.g., a wireless charging system). In some cases, the decorative assembly 269 is fixed to the support plate, such as via welding, brazing, soldering, or other suitable attachment means. The support plate 283 may be a one-piece metal structure spanning substantially the entire inner surface of the rear cover 272 (e.g., including the wireless charger area and the rear camera area). In other examples, the support plate 283 may be defined by a plurality of separate metal components 282-1, 282-2 (e.g., a first metal component 282-1 proximate the wireless charger area and a second metal component 282-2 at the rear camera area). In cases where the support plate 283 is formed by a plurality of separate metal components 282, the metal components may be the same metal (e.g., both aluminum or both stainless steel), or the metal components may be different materials (e.g., the first metal component 282-1 may be formed of aluminum while the second metal component 282-2 may be stainless steel). The first metal component 282-1 and the second metal component 282-1 may be attached together. For example, the second metal component 282-2 may define tabs that overlap and are welded, brazed, soldered, or otherwise attached to the first metal component 282-1. Attaching the first metal component 282-1 and the second metal component 282-2 may conductively couple the components and may also increase the structural rigidity and / or integrity of the support plate 283 and the rear cover assembly 273.

[0238] The support plate 283 may be thermally coupled to other device components via a thermal bridge as described herein. Example thermal bridges include graphite-wrapped foam (e.g., a graphite layer wrapped around foam or other compliant material), a thermally conductive circuit (e.g., a graphite or other thermally conductive layer on a circuit structure formed by a substrate), direct metal-to-metal contact, thermal paste, or thermal gel, etc. The thermal bridge may thermally couple the support plate 283 to components such as the circuit board assembly 220, the battery 230, and the sensor array 260. The support plate 283 may be formed of a thermally conductive material such as metal (e.g., aluminum), and heat from other components may be transferred to the support plate 283. The support plate 283 may thus act as a heat sink and may also generally distribute heat throughout the support plate 283, which may help reduce peak device or component temperatures.

[0239] The rear cover assembly 273 may also include attachment features, such as tabs or clips, that engage complementary attachment features of another component (e.g., the housing segment 217, which may be a sub-assembly) to couple the rear cover assembly 273 to the housing segment 217. The attachment features may be integral with the support plate 283 (e.g., the support plate and the attachment features may be defined by a single metal piece).

[0240] Similar to the description of the cover 202, the cover 272 may be at least partially positioned within an opening defined in the housing structure 210. Moreover, the edge or sides of the cover 272 may be surrounded by a protective flange or lip of the housing structure 210, with no gap member between the edge of the cover 272 and the corresponding flange of the housing structure 210. An ion exchange process is typically used to chemically strengthen the cover 272 to form a compressive stress layer along the outer surface of the cover 272.

[0241] The housing structure 210 may include a housing segment 217 (e.g., an intermediate housing segment 217) that includes housing members 211 and 214 and a chassis section 219 (e.g., a metal plate-like structure extending between the housing members 211 and 214, also simply referred to as the chassis 219). The housing member 211 may define a first wall section that defines at least a portion of the first side outer surface of the device, and the housing member 214 may define a second wall section that defines at least a portion of the second side outer surface of the device that is opposite the first side outer surface. The chassis 219 extending between the first wall section (defined by the housing members 211, 214) and the second wall section may define a mounting structure for components of the device 200. For example, as described herein, components (such as the circuit board assembly 220, the battery 230, the sensor array 260, the speaker module 250, the speaker system 224, the haptic actuator 222, etc.) may be coupled to the chassis 219 (e.g., along the rearward side of the chassis 219). By coupling the components to the chassis 219 instead of the front cover assembly 201 and / or the rear cover 272, the cost and complexity of the front cover assembly 201 and the rear cover assembly 273 may be reduced, and the removal and / or replacement of the front cover assembly 201 and / or the rear cover 272 may be simplified. The chassis 219 may also define one or more holes extending therethrough to facilitate coupling of components on one side of the chassis 219 (e.g., the display 203 and / or sensors of the front cover assembly 201) to components on the other side of the chassis 219 (e.g., the circuit board assembly 220). Additionally, as noted above, the chassis 219 may also be thermally coupled to components of the device 200, such as the circuit board assembly 220, to conduct heat away from the thermally coupled components.

[0242] The chassis 219 can provide thermal performance functions for the device 200. For example, heat-generating components (e.g., the circuit board assembly 220 and / or components thereon) can be thermally coupled to the chassis 219 such that heat from the circuit board assembly 220 can be transferred to the chassis 219. Additionally, the chassis 219 and the thermal coupling between the circuit board assembly 220 and the chassis 219 can be configured to preferentially transfer heat away from the outer wall of the housing structure 210 (or otherwise inhibit heat transfer to the outer wall). For example, a heat bridge (which can also be referred to as a heat pipe or a thermal coupling component) can thermally couple the circuit board assembly 220 to the chassis 219, and the heat bridge can preferably be positioned towards the middle of the device (e.g., along the x-direction) such that heat tends to be transferred away from the sidewall into the chassis 219. In some cases, the heat bridge is positioned about 5 mm, about 10 mm, about 15 mm, or about 20 mm away from the nearest housing component (measured along the x-direction). The chassis 219 can also include thermal barriers that inhibit heat transfer from the chassis 219 to the housing components. For example, one or more holes can be formed through the chassis 219 between the housing component and the heat bridge (or other areas where heat is transferred to the chassis 219) to inhibit heat transfer to the housing component. These and other thermal management features are described herein.

[0243] In some cases, rather than being formed from multiple separate housing components (e.g., housing sub-assemblies) attached together, the housing segment 217 can be a one-piece structure formed from a single piece of material. For example, the one-piece structure of the housing segment 217 can be a metal, such as aluminum, steel, titanium, etc., and can be formed by extrusion, machining, and / or a combination of these and other forming processes. Thus, the housing components 211 and 214 (which define the side outer surfaces of the device 200) and the chassis 219 can be different parts of a single piece of material. In some cases, the housing segment 217 can be formed from separate components attached to each other. For example, the housing components 211, 214 can be formed as separate components from the chassis 219, and then the housing components 211, 214 can be welded, brazed, soldered, adhered, or otherwise attached to the chassis 219 to form the housing segment 217. As described herein, the housing components 211, 214 can be a bimetallic cladding structure (e.g., a titanium cladding on an aluminum core), and the chassis 219 can be aluminum. The aluminum core portion of the cladding structure can be welded to the aluminum chassis 219.

[0244] As described above, the housing structure 210 may include housing components 212, 213, 215, and 216, which are structurally joined together via a joint structure 218 and / or joined to a housing segment 217 (intermediate housing segment 217). The joint structure 218 (e.g., the material of the joint structure) may extend over the inner surface of the housing components. More specifically, a portion of the joint structure 218 may contact, cover, encapsulate, and / or engage a retention feature extending from the inner surface of the housing component (including, for example, the housing component from the intermediate housing component 214). When the housing components 214 and 211 are coupled to the housing segment 217 including the chassis 219, the joint structure 218 may also be used to structurally join the housing components 212, 213, 215, and 216 to the housing segment 217. When coupled via the joint structure 218, the housing segment 217, the housing components 212, 213, 215, and 216, and the joint structure 218 may define a main housing assembly that defines the outer surface of the device 200 and the chassis 219 within the device.

[0245] The housing components 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, and 216 may be formed of aluminum, stainless steel, or other metals. In some cases, the housing components 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, and 216 may be formed of a clad metal structure. For example, the housing component may include a core portion formed of a first metal (e.g., aluminum) and a clad portion formed of a second metal (e.g., titanium, stainless steel). The clad portion may define the outer surface of the housing component. The housing component may be formed by co-extruding the core portion and the clad portion to form a clad precursor material. Then, the precursor material may be formed into the housing component (e.g., an extruded member) using various processes. For example, the precursor material may be forged and / or machined to define the overall shape and mechanical features of the housing component, and then polished, textured, and / or coated.

[0246] In some cases, in the case of forming a hole (e.g., for a button, audio port, charging port, etc.) through the clad and core portions of the clad housing component, a seam between the clad portion and the core portion may be present within the hole (e.g., along the hole surface). In some cases, the seam may be covered with another material, such as a coating, adhesive, polymer layer, etc. Covering the seam may help prevent galvanic corrosion at the seam due to contact with water or other liquids.

[0247] In some cases, a metal deposition process is used to create holes through a cladding outer shell component, and these holes do not include seams along the hole surface. For example, holes through the outer shell can be formed by first forming holes only through the core material. Then additional cladding material is added to the holes (such as via a direct metal deposition process) such that the cladding material substantially fills the holes through the core portion. Then a final hole is formed through the cladding material and the additional cladding material (added by the metal deposition process) such that the entire hole surface through the outer shell component is formed by the cladding material (e.g., the core material does not define the hole surface). In this way, there are no seams between different metals in the holes, thereby reducing the risk of galvanic corrosion within the holes.

[0248] The mechanical feature portions can include interlocking structures for interlocking with joint structures (e.g., to mechanically couple the outer shell components together), attachment features (e.g., holes for receiving fasteners), mounting surfaces, antenna feed points, ground points, and the like. In some cases, the outer surface of the outer shell component is to undergo a texturing operation, such as grinding, polishing, machining, ablation, sandblasting (e.g., sandblasting, bead blasting), etching (via mechanical etching, laser etching, chemical etching, etc.), or similar methods. Parts or all of the surface of the outer shell component can also be coated, such as using PVD or CVD operations. For a curved outer shell component (e.g., portions 212, 213, 215, and 216 that define the corner portions of the outer shell structure 210), the cladding precursor material can be bent before other machining operations (such as machining, forging, polishing, grinding, coating, etc.) are performed. After forming, the outer shell component (including the outer shell segment 217) can be inserted into a mold and joined together by injection molding with a moldable material to form a joint structure 218 that engages and holds the components together, thereby defining the outer shell structure 210.

[0249] The outer shell segment 217 can be formed by welding the outer shell components 211, 214 to the chassis section 219. The chassis section 219 can be formed of a metal (such as aluminum) and can be welded to the aluminum core portions of the outer shell components 211, 214. In some cases, instead of welding or in addition to welding, the lower chassis section 219 can be soldered, brazed, or adhered to the outer shell components 211, 214. The intermediate chassis section 219 can be conductive and structurally coupled to the outer shell components 211, 214.

[0250] As described herein, the housing components 212, 213, 215, and 216 and the housing components 211, 214 can provide a rugged and impact-resistant sidewall for the device 200. In this example, the housing components 212, 213, 215, and 216 and the housing components 211, 214 define a flat sidewall that extends around the perimeter of the device 200. The flat sidewall can include rounded or chamfered edges that define the upper and lower edges of the sidewall of the housing structure 210. The housing components 212, 213, 215, and 216 and the housing components 211, 214 can each have a flange portion or lip that extends around the respective sides of the front cover 202 and the rear cover 272 and at least partially covers the respective sides. There can be no gap material or elements between the flange portion or lip and the respective side surfaces of the front cover 202 and the rear cover 272. This can cause forces or impacts applied to the housing structure 210 to be transferred to the front cover 202 and the rear cover 272 without affecting the display or other internal structural elements, thereby improving the drop performance of the device 200.

[0251] The device 200 can also include a button 285 having a touch sensor incorporated into its outer surface (which can correspond to Figure 1A button 121 in ). For example, the button 285 can detect force (or translation or press) inputs and can also detect touch inputs applied to the button surface. The force inputs can be detected by a strain sensing system, a switch member, or any other suitable force and / or translation sensor (and / or combination of sensors, such as a collapsible leaf switch combined with a force sensor). The touch inputs can be detected by a touch sensing system such as a capacitive touch sensing system. For example, the button member of the button 285 (e.g., the movable part that a user presses to actuate the button or provide an input to the button) can include a touch sensing element positioned thereon. A button equipped with a touch sensing element can detect various types of touch-based inputs, including static touch inputs (e.g., a finger touching the touch-sensitive button surface), dynamic touch inputs (e.g., a finger sliding along the touch-sensitive button surface, also known as gesture or swipe inputs), etc. In some cases, the button 285 can include a touch sensing element to detect such touch-based inputs. As described herein, the button 285 can operate in conjunction with a haptic actuation system (such as the haptic actuator 222) to generate a haptic output in response to detecting an input (e.g., a force input, a touch input, etc.) at the button 285.

[0252] As Figure 2 shown, the device 200 includes one or more antennas that can be adapted to communicate wirelessly using a 5G communication protocol. For example, the device 200 can include an antenna module 247 that can include one or more antenna arrays that can be configured to transmit and receive wireless communication signals through the rear cover 272 and / or through other housing components of the device (e.g., radio frequency transmission components of the device or the housing).

[0253] The antenna module may include a plurality of antenna arrays. For example, the antenna module may include one or more millimeter-wave antenna arrays. In the case where the antenna module includes a plurality of millimeter-wave antenna arrays (each antenna array may include one or more radiating elements), the plurality of millimeter-wave antenna arrays may be configured to operate according to a diversity scheme (e.g., spatial diversity, pattern diversity, polarization diversity, etc.). The antenna module may also include one or more ultra-wideband antennas.

[0254] The antenna array may be adapted for millimeter-wave 5G communication and may be adapted to adjust signal reception according to usage using beamforming or other techniques or in conjunction with beamforming or other techniques. Device 200 may also include a plurality of antennas for performing a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication scheme, including 4G, 4G LTE, and / or 5G MIMO communication protocols. As described herein, one or more of the housing components 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, and 216 (or portions thereof) may be adapted to function as an antenna for a MIMO wireless communication scheme (or other wireless communication scheme).

[0255] Figure 3 A decomposition diagram of an example electronic device is depicted. Specifically, Figure 3 A decomposition diagram of device 300 is depicted, which shows the various components of device 300 and an example arrangement and configuration of these components. Device 300 may be an implementation of device 140, and Figure 1A and Figure 1B the description of the various components and elements of device 100 may also apply to Figure 3 the depicted device 300. For clarity, redundant descriptions of some components are not repeated herein.

[0256] As Figure 3As shown, device 300 includes a cover 302 (e.g., a front cover) that may be formed of or include a transparent or optically transmissive material. In some cases, cover 302 is formed of a glass material or other suitable transparent or optically transmissive material (e.g., silica-based glass material, aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, alkali-containing aluminosilicate glass, chemically strengthened glass, sapphire, ceramic, glass-ceramic, devitrifiable glass material, or plastic). In this example, cover 302 may be formed of a glass-ceramic material. The glass-ceramic material may include an amorphous phase and a crystalline or non-amorphous phase of one or more materials and may be formulated to improve the strength or other properties of cover 302. The glass-ceramic material may be a silica-based glass-ceramic material such as an aluminosilicate glass-ceramic material or a borosilicate glass-ceramic material. The glass-ceramic material may be chemically strengthened by ion exchange. In some cases, cover 302 may include a sheet of chemically strengthened material or an optical processing element having one or more coatings that include an anti-reflection (AR) coating, an oleophobic coating, or other types of coatings. In some cases, cover 302 includes a sheet of material having a thickness less than 1 mm. In some cases, the sheet of material is less than 0.80 mm. In some cases, the sheet of material is about 0.60 mm or thinner, or about 0.50 mm or thinner. An ion exchange process may be used to chemically strengthen cover 302 to form a compressive stress layer along the outer surface of cover 302.

[0257] Cover 302 extends over substantially the entire front surface of the device and may be positioned within an opening defined by housing structure 310. In some cases, the edge or sides of cover 302 may be surrounded by a protective flange or lip of housing structure 310 with no gap member between the edge of cover 302 and the corresponding flange of housing structure 310. This configuration may allow an impact or force applied to housing structure 310 to be transferred to cover 302 without directly transmitting shear stress through display 303 or frame 304.

[0258] As Figure 3As shown, the display 303 is attached to the inner surface of the cover 302. The display 303 may include a borderless organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display that has a corner-to-corner size of 15.4 cm (6.1 inches). The perimeter or inactive area of the display 303 can be reduced to allow for a very thin device border around the active area of the display 303. In some cases, the display 303 allows for a border area of 1.5 mm or thinner. In some cases, the display 303 allows for a border area of 1 mm or thinner. In one example implementation, the border area is approximately 0.9 mm. The display 303 may have a relatively high pixel density of approximately 460 pixels per inch (PPI) or greater. In some cases, the display 303 has a pixel density of approximately 475 PPI. The display 203 may use a low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPS) or low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) backplane

[0259] The display 303 may have an on-cell touch sensing system. For example, an array of electrodes (or other touch sensing components) integrated into the OLED display can be time and / or frequency multiplexed to provide both display and touch sensing functionality. The electrodes can be configured to detect touch locations, gesture inputs, multi-touch inputs, or other types of touch inputs along the outer surface of the cover 302. In some cases, the display 303 includes another type of display element, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) that does not have an integrated touch sensing system. That is, the device 300 may include one or more touch and / or force sensing components or layers positioned between the display 303 and the cover 302.

[0260] The display 303 (also referred to as the display stack) may include an always-on display (AOD) function. For example, the display 303 may be configured to allow a subset of designated areas or pixels to be displayed when the device 300 is powered on, such that graphical content is visible to the user even when the device 300 is in a low power or sleep mode. This can allow for the display of time, date, battery status, recent notifications, and other graphical content in a low power or sleep mode. This graphical content may be referred to as persistent or always-on graphical output. Although some battery power may be consumed when displaying persistent or always-on graphical output, the power consumption is generally less than the power consumption during normal or full power operation of the display 303. This function can be enabled by operating only a subset of the display pixels and / or by operating at a reduced resolution in order to reduce the power consumption of the display 303.

[0261] The display 303 may include multiple layers, including a touch-sensing layer or component, an optional force-sensing layer or component, a display layer, etc. The display 303 may define a graphic active area within which graphic output can be displayed. In some cases, portions of the display 303 may include a graphic inactive area, such as portions of the display layer that do not include active display components or are otherwise not configured to display graphic output (e.g., pixels). In some cases, the graphic inactive area may be located along the peripheral boundary or other edges of the display 303.

[0262] As Figure 3 shown, the device 300 may also include a frame member 304 (also simply referred to as the frame 304), which is positioned under the cover 302 and extends around the outer perimeter of the display 303. The frame 304 may be attached to the lower surface or inner surface of the cover 302. A portion of the frame 304 may extend under the display 303 and may attach the cover 302 to the housing structure 310. Since the display 303 is attached to the lower surface or inner surface of the cover 302, the frame 304 may also be described as attaching both the display 303 and the cover 302 to the housing structure 310. The frame 304 may be formed of a polymeric material, a metallic material, or a combination of polymeric and metallic materials. The frame 304 may support elements of the display stack, provide anchor points for flexible circuits, and / or be used to mount other components and device elements. In some cases, the frame 304 includes one or more metallic or conductive elements that provide shielding between device components, such as between the display stack (including display components and touch sensor components) and other components such as the haptic actuator 322, the speaker system 324, etc.

[0263] The cover 302, the display or display stack 303, and the frame member 304 may be part of a front cover assembly 301 of the device 300. The front cover assembly 301 (e.g., the front cover of the front cover assembly) may define the front outer surface of the device. The cover 302 may define an inner surface opposite the outer surface. The front cover assembly 301 may be assembled as a sub-assembly, which may then be attached to the housing component. For example, as described herein, the display 303 may be attached (e.g., via a transparent adhesive) to the cover 302, and the frame member 304 may be attached (e.g., via an adhesive) around the perimeter of the display stack 303 to the cover. The front cover assembly 301 may then be attached to the housing component of the device 300 by mounting and adhering the frame member 304 to a boss defined by the housing component.

[0264] Device 300 also includes a speaker module 350 configured to output sound via a speaker port. The speaker port may be located in and / or at least partially defined by a recess or notch formed along a side of the cover 302. As described herein, a decorative piece may be at least partially located in the recess or notch to facilitate sound output while also inhibiting debris, liquid, or other materials or contaminants from entering into device 300. Output from the speaker module 350 may pass through an audio channel or acoustic path at least partially defined by the speaker module 350 itself and the decorative piece. In some cases, a portion of the acoustic path (e.g., between the speaker module 350 and the decorative piece) is defined by the housing structure 310 and / or a molded material coupled to the housing structure 310. For example, a molded material (e.g., a fiber-reinforced polymer) may be molded against a metallic portion of the housing structure 310 (e.g., the housing component 313 described herein). The molded material may also form one or more intermediate elements such as joint structures (e.g., joint structure 318), which also structurally join the housing components together. A port or channel (e.g., a tubular tunnel) may be defined through the molded material to more generally acoustically couple the speaker module 350 to the decorative piece and / or the recess, thereby guiding sound from the speaker module 350 to the exterior of device 300.

[0265] As Figure 3 shown, device 300 also includes one or more cameras, optical emitters, and / or sensing elements configured to transmit signals, receive signals, or otherwise operate along a front surface of the device. In this example, device 300 includes a front camera 306, which includes a high-resolution camera sensor. The front camera 306 may have a 12-megapixel resolution sensor with an optical element providing an 85° field of view. The front camera 306 may have an f / 1.9 aperture number. The front camera 306 may include an autofocus function, where one or more of the lens elements move (e.g., perpendicular to the cover by up to about 100 micrometers) to focus an image on the camera's sensor. In some cases, the autofocus front-facing camera is capable of providing continuous autofocus functionality during video capture. Device 300 also includes an optical face recognition system 352, which includes an infrared light projector (for projecting light) and an infrared light sensor configured to sense an array or region of depth points along a user's face. The array of depth points may be characterized as a unique feature or biometric identifier that may be used to identify and / or authenticate the user and unlock device 300 (and / or authorize functions on device 300, such as purchasing software applications or using payment functions provided by device 300).

[0266] Device 300 may also include one or more other sensors or components. For example, device 300 may include a front light illuminator element for providing flash or illumination for the front camera 306. Device 300 may also include an ambient light sensor (ALS) for detecting ambient light conditions for setting exposure aspects of the front camera 306 and / or for controlling the operation of the display. Device 300 may also include a proximity sensing system 353 for detecting the proximity of a user or other object to device 300. In some cases, as described herein, proximity sensing system 353 detects proximity to other objects through the active area of the display. Proximity sensing system 353 and optical face recognition system 352 may be integrated in a common module. In some cases, information from the proximity sensing system and the ambient light sensor may be used to determine ambient light conditions and / or the proximity of an object to device 300. For example, information from the proximity sensing system may be used to determine whether low ambient light detected by the ambient light sensor is due to low ambient light or due to an object (e.g., a finger providing a touch input or a palm during typing input) partially or temporarily covering the ambient light sensor. Information from these two sensing systems may be used to eliminate potential ambiguous conditions and generally improve the accuracy of the device in sensing or detecting specific conditions.

[0267] Figure 3 Also illustrated are one or more cameras, optical transmitters, and / or sensing elements configured to emit signals, receive signals, or otherwise operate along the rear surface of the device. As Figure 3 depicted, these elements may be part of a sensor array 360. In this example, sensor array 360 includes a first camera 361 having a 48.8 megapixel image sensor (optionally having a three-layer sensor arrangement) and a wide-angle lens with an aperture number of f / 1.6. Sensor array 360 may also include a second camera 362 having a 12 megapixel image sensor and an ultra-wide-angle lens (120° FOV) with an aperture number of f / 2.4. Sensor array 360 also includes a light illuminator that can be used as a flash or auxiliary light source for photography (e.g., a flashlight). In some cases, sensor array 360 also includes a microphone, an ambient light sensor, a depth sensor, and / or other sensors suitable for sensing along the rear surface of device 300. The first camera 361 and the second camera 362 (and / or the camera lenses of the first camera 361 and the second camera 362) may be arranged on a line extending along the y direction of the device (e.g., centered on the line).

[0268] As Figure 3As shown, cameras 361 and 362 can be aligned with camera covers 363 and 364 respectively. Covers 363, 364 can be formed of glass, glass-ceramic, or sapphire material and can provide a clear (e.g., transparent or optically transmissive) window through which cameras 361, 362 can capture photographic images. In other cases, covers 363, 364 are optical lenses that filter, magnify, or otherwise condition the light received by the respective cameras 361, 362. Other sensing or transmitting elements of sensor array 360 can transmit and / or receive signals through areas of rear cover 372 or through separate covers coupled to rear cover 372. As Figure 3 shown, covers 363, 364 can extend beyond the outer surface of cover 372 and can define recesses along the inner side of cover 372 such that the lenses or other elements of cameras 361 and 362 can extend into the respective recesses. In this way, device 300 can accommodate larger lenses or other elements of cameras 361 and 362 compared to the lenses or other elements that might be accommodated in the absence of the recesses. In some cases, decorative assemblies 365, 366 can be coupled to rear cover 372 and can support covers 363, 364.

[0269] Device 300 also includes a battery 330. Battery 330 provides power to device 300 and its various systems and components. Battery 330 can include a 4.40V lithium-ion battery encapsulated in a foil or other encapsulating element (e.g., a rigid metal housing, as described with respect to battery 230). Battery 330 can include a wound electrode configuration, sometimes referred to as a "jelly roll" or a folded or stacked electrode configuration.

[0270] Battery 330 can be attached to device 300 (e.g., attached to chassis section 323) using one or more adhesives and / or other attachment techniques. In one example, battery 330 can be attached to chassis section 323 or another structure of device 300 using an electro-detachable adhesive (e.g., an adhesive whose bond strength can be selectively reduced in response to an electric charge). In such cases, the adhesive can include conductive terminals that contact the electro-detachable adhesive conductively. When a current is applied to the electro-detachable adhesive (EDA) (e.g., by the user during a battery replacement operation), the bond strength of the adhesive can be reduced until the battery is released from the adhesive and / or chassis section 323, or until the bond strength is low enough that the battery can be easily removed by the user (e.g., without damaging the battery or other device components).

[0271] The battery 330 can be charged via the charging port 332 (e.g., by a charging cable that is inserted into the charging port 332 through the charging access opening 326), and / or via the wireless charging system 340. The charging port 332 can be or can include a connector module. The battery 330 can be coupled to the charging port 332 and / or the wireless charging system 340 via a battery control circuit that controls the power supplied to the battery and the power supplied by the battery to the device 300. The battery 330 can include one or more lithium-ion battery cells or any other suitable type of rechargeable battery element.

[0272] The wireless charging system 340 can include a coil that is inductively coupled to the output or transmitting coil of a wireless charging accessory. The coil can supply current to the device 300 to charge the battery 330 and / or power the device. In this example, the wireless charging system 340 includes a coil assembly 342 that includes a multi-turn conductive wire or other conduit configured to generate a current (charging current) in response to being placed in an inductive charging electromagnetic field generated by a separate wireless charging device or accessory. The coil assembly 342 also includes an array of magnetic elements arranged in a circular or radial pattern. The magnetic elements can assist in positioning the device 300 relative to a separate wireless charging accessory or other device. In some embodiments, the magnet array also helps to radially position, orient, or "rotate" the device 300 relative to a separate wireless charging device or other accessory. For example, the magnet array can include a plurality of magnetic elements having alternating magnetic polarities arranged in a radial pattern. The magnetic elements can be arranged to provide magnetic coupling to a separate charging device in a particular orientation or a set of discrete orientations to assist in positioning the device 300 relative to the separate charging device or other accessory. This function can be described as self-aligning or self-positioning wireless charging. As Figure 3 shown, the device 300 also includes a magnetic reference 344 for assisting in positioning a separate wireless charging device or accessory.

[0273] In one example, the magnetic reference 344 is designed to magnetically couple to a separate wireless charging device or other accessory. By coupling to the separate wireless charging device / accessory, the rotational alignment of the device 300 and the separate wireless charging device / accessory can be maintained relative to an absolute position or a single position. Moreover, by magnetically coupling the charging device / accessory to the rear surface of the device 300, the charging device or other accessory can be more firmly coupled to the device 300.

[0274] In some embodiments, the wireless charging system 340 includes an antenna or other element that detects the presence of a charging device or other accessory. In some cases, the charging system includes a Near Field Communication (NFC) antenna that is adapted to receive and / or transmit wireless communication between the device 300 and a wireless charger or other accessory. In some cases, the device 300 is adapted to perform wireless communication to detect or sense the presence of a wireless charger or other accessory without using a dedicated NFC antenna. The communication may also include information about the state of the device, the amount of power held by the battery 330, and / or control signals for increasing charging, decreasing charging, starting charging, and / or stopping charging for wireless charging operations.

[0275] The wireless charging system 340 may also include one or more graphite layers (or other thermally conductive layers) that improve the thermal performance of the wireless charging system 340 and / or the device itself. For example, the graphite layer on the wireless charging system 340 may spread and / or dissipate heat from the coil during charging operations. In some cases, the graphite layer may absorb and spread heat from other components (such as the battery 330).

[0276] The device 300 may also include a speaker system 324. The speaker system 324 may be positioned within the device 300 such that the corresponding port 325 is aligned with or otherwise close to the audio output of the speaker system 324. Thus, the sound output by the speaker system 324 exits the housing structure 310 via the corresponding port 325. The speaker system 324 may include a speaker positioned within a housing that defines a speaker volume (e.g., an empty space in front of or behind the speaker diaphragm). The speaker volume may be used to tune the audio output from the speaker and optionally mitigate destructive interference of the sound produced by the speaker.

[0277] The device 300 may also include a haptic actuator 322. The haptic actuator 322 may include a movable mass and an actuation system configured to move the mass to generate a haptic output. The actuation system may include one or more coils and one or more magnets (e.g., permanent magnets and / or electromagnets) that interact to produce motion. The magnet may be or may include recycled magnetic material.

[0278] When the coil is energized, the coil may cause the mass to move, which results in a force being applied to the device 300. The movement of the mass may be configured to cause a vibration, pulse, tap, or other haptic output that is detectable via the outer surface of the device 300. The haptic actuator 322 may be configured to move the mass linearly, but other movements (e.g., rotational) are also conceivable. As an alternative or supplement to the haptic actuator 322, other types of haptic actuators may be used.

[0279] The haptic actuator 322 can be configured such that the mass moves along the y-direction to generate a haptic output. In some cases, a particular movement of the mass along the y-direction is tuned to generate a haptic output that is perceptually similar to a haptic actuator configured to move along the x-direction. Configuring the haptic actuator 322 such that the mass moves along the y-direction (e.g., instead of the x-direction) can allow the haptic actuator 322 to be oriented primarily along the y-direction (e.g., the long axis of the haptic actuator 322 extends along the y-direction), which can allow for higher packaging efficiency of the components within the device 300.

[0280] In some cases, the haptic actuator 322 is configured to generate a first haptic output in response to the device detecting that a force input applied to a button (e.g., a button having a strain sensing or other force sensing element) meets a force threshold, and is further configured to generate a second haptic output in response to a notification event (e.g., an event associated with a haptic notification, or an event when the device generates a haptic output upon its occurrence). Thus, the same haptic actuator 322 can be used to generate haptics for notification, as well as to simulate a button press or otherwise indicate that an input meeting the force threshold has been received.

[0281] The device 300 further includes a circuit board assembly 320. The circuit board assembly 320 can include a substrate and a processor, a memory, and other circuit elements coupled to the substrate. The circuit board assembly 320 can include a plurality of circuit substrates that are stacked and coupled together to maximize the area available for electronic components and circuits in a compact form factor. The circuit board assembly 320 can include means for a subscriber identity module (SIM). The circuit board assembly 320 can include electrical contacts and / or a SIM tray assembly for receiving a physical SIM card, and / or the circuit board assembly 320 can include means for an eSIM. In the case of using an eSIM, the device 300 can omit the SIM tray (e.g., the device may not include an opening, tray, slot, door, or other mechanical means for inserting or otherwise accessing the SIM). The circuit board assembly 320 can be fully or partially encapsulated to reduce the chance of damage due to the ingress of water or other fluids.

[0282] The circuit board assembly 320 can be thermally coupled to the chassis section 323 of the housing structure 310. As described herein, the chassis section 323 (also simply referred to as the chassis 323) can be part of the housing segment 314 (e.g., an intermediate housing component) that is formed of a unitary structure and defines the chassis 323 as well as a first wall section 317 that defines the first side outer surface of the device 300 and a second wall section 319 that defines the second side outer surface of the device 300. The circuit board assembly 320 can be thermally coupled to the chassis 323 via one or more thermal bridges such as a graphite structure, graphite-wrapped foam, or other thermally conductive structure. Heat from the circuit board assembly can be transferred to the chassis 323 via the thermal bridge, thereby removing heat from the circuit board assembly 320 (where the heat may be harmful to durability, performance, etc.) and also drawing heat away from the outer surfaces and / or components of the device 300 that come into contact with the user (e.g., the wall sections 317, 319 that define the outer side surfaces of the device and can be held by the user when the device 300 is in use).

[0283] The circuit board assembly 320 can also include wireless communication circuitry that can be operably coupled to and / or otherwise use the wall sections and / or housing components 312, 313, 317, 315, 316, or 319 (or portions thereof) as radiating members or structures to provide wireless communication. The circuit board assembly 320 can also include components such as an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a near-field communication circuit and / or antenna, a compass, etc. In some particular implementations, the circuit board assembly 320 can include a magnetometer adapted to detect and / or locate an accessory. For example, the magnetometer can be adapted to detect a magnetic (or non-magnetic) signal generated by an accessory of the device 300 or another device. The output of the magnetometer can include a direction output that can be used to display a direction marker or other navigation guidance on the display 303 to direct the user towards the location of the accessory or another device.

[0284] The device 300 can also include one or more pressure transducers that can be operative to detect changes in external pressure to determine changes in altitude. The pressure sensors can be disposed outside and / or located within the water-tight interior volume of the housing structure 310. The output of the pressure sensors can be used to track the steps climbed, the location of a multi-story structure (e.g., floor), the movement performed during an activity, in order to estimate physical exertion or calories burned or other relative movement of the device 300.

[0285] The circuit board assembly 320 may also include global positioning system (GPS) electronics that can be used to determine the position of the device 300 relative to one or more satellites (e.g., global navigation satellite system (GNSS)) in order to estimate the absolute position of the device 300. In some embodiments, the GPS electronics are capable of operating to utilize dual bands. For example, the GPS electronics may use L1 (L1C), L2 (L2C), L5, L1+L5, and other GPS signal bands to estimate the position of the device 300.

[0286] As Figure 3 shown, the housing may include a cover 372 (e.g., a rear cover or back cover) that may define substantially the entire rear surface of the device 300. The back cover 372, the front cover 302, and the housing structure 310 may at least partially define the housing of the device 300, which may define an internal volume in which the components of the device 300 are positioned. The cover 372 may be formed of or include a transparent or optically transmissive material. For example, the cover 372 may include a substrate formed of a glass material or other suitable material (e.g., silica-based glass material, aluminosilicate glass, borosilicate glass, alkali-containing aluminosilicate glass, chemically strengthened glass, sapphire, ceramic, glass-ceramic, devitrifiable glass material, or plastic). The glass-ceramic material may be a silica-based glass-ceramic material, such as an aluminosilicate glass-ceramic material or a borosilicate glass-ceramic material. The glass-ceramic material may be chemically strengthened by ion exchange. The substrate may have a portion less than 1 mm thick. In some cases, the substrate has a portion less than 0.80 mm. In some cases, the substrate has a portion about 0.60 mm or thinner. The cover 372 may have a uniform thickness, or in some cases, may have a thickened or raised portion around the camera covers 363, 364. The back cover 372 may be machined (e.g., ground) to a final shape before being polished and / or textured to provide a desired surface finish. The texture may be specifically configured to provide a matte appearance while also resisting the accumulation of skin, lint, or other debris.

[0287] The cover 372 may be formed of a colored optically transmissive material and may include a coating along the inner side of the cover 372 that, together with the color (or lack thereof) of the optically transmissive material, defines the color of the rear side of the device. For example, the coating along the inner surface of the cover may include one or more color layers. The color layer may include a colorant, such as a pigment or dye, and may have a distinct hue or may be a near-neutral color. Alternatively or additionally, the coating may include one or more opaque layers applied to the inner surface of the substrate (or otherwise positioned along the inner side of the substrate) to provide a particular appearance for the back of the device. The opaque layer may include sheets, inks, dyes, or combinations of these (or other) layers, materials, etc., and in some cases may be optically dense.

[0288] The cover 372 can be part of the rear cover assembly 373. The rear cover assembly 373 can be coupled to the housing structure 310. In some cases, the rear cover assembly 373 includes components such as camera covers 363 and 364, decorative components 365, 366, components of a wireless charging system, structural components (e.g., a frame), other decorative components, mounting clips, and / or other components, systems, subsystems, and / or materials.

[0289] The rear cover assembly 373 can include a support plate 371 coupled to the inner surface of the rear cover 372. The support plate 371 can be coupled to the inner surface of the rear cover via an adhesive.

[0290] The support plate 371 can be formed of metal (e.g., aluminum) and can define a structural mounting surface for components of the rear cover assembly 373 (e.g., a wireless charging system). In some cases, the decorative components 365, 366 are fixed to the support plate, such as via welding, soldering, brazing, or other suitable attachment means. The support plate 371 can be a unitary metal structure that substantially spans the entire inner surface of the rear cover 372 (e.g., including the wireless charger area and the rear-facing camera area). In other examples, the support plate 371 can be defined by a plurality of separate metal components. In cases where the support plate 371 is formed of a plurality of separate metal components, these metal components can be the same metal (e.g., all aluminum or all stainless steel), or they can be different materials, as described above with respect to the metal components 282 (the discussion of these metal components applies to the multi-component support plate 371).

[0291] The support plate 371 can be thermally coupled to other device components, such as via a thermal bridge as described herein. Example thermal bridges include graphite-wrapped foam (e.g., a graphite layer wrapped around foam or other compliant material), a thermally conductive circuit (e.g., a graphite or other thermally conductive layer on a circuit structure formed by a substrate), direct metal-to-metal contact, thermal paste, or thermal gel. The thermal bridge can thermally couple the support plate 371 to components such as the circuit board assembly 320, the battery 330, and the sensor array 360. The support plate 271 can be formed of a thermally conductive material such as metal (e.g., aluminum), and heat from other components can be transferred to the support plate 371. The support plate 371 can thus act as a heat sink and can also generally distribute heat throughout the support plate 371, which can help reduce peak device or component temperatures.

[0292] Similar to that described above with respect to cover 302, cover 372 may be at least partially positioned within an opening defined in housing structure 310. Also similar to that described above with respect to cover 302, the edge or side of cover 372 may be surrounded by a protective flange or lip of housing structure 310, with no gap member between the edge of cover 372 and the corresponding flange of housing structure 310. An ion exchange process may be used to chemically strengthen cover 372 to form a compressive stress layer along the outer surface of cover 372. In some cases, the (rear) cover 372 is formed of the same or similar material as the (front) cover 302.

[0293] The rear cover 372 may be removably coupled to the remainder of the housing structure 310 such that the rear cover 372 can be removed and / or replaced quickly and efficiently. In some cases, the wireless charging system 340 is the only component attached to the rear cover 372 that needs to be electrically coupled to the circuit board assembly 320 (which is coupled to housing segment 314). Thus, the rear cover 372 can be completely removed from the device by detaching the rear cover 372 from the remainder of the housing (e.g., from housing segment 314) and separating the electrical connectors of the wireless charging system. In this way, the device 300 can provide improved repairability.

[0294] The housing structure 310 may include a housing segment 314 (e.g., an intermediate housing segment 314) that includes wall segments 317 and 319 and a chassis segment 323 (e.g., a metal plate-like structure extending between wall segments 317 and 319). The chassis 323 may define a mounting structure for the components of the device 300. For example, as described herein, components such as the circuit board assembly 320, battery 330, sensor array 360, speaker module 350, speaker system 324, haptic actuator 322, etc. may be coupled to the chassis 323 (e.g., along the rearward side of the chassis 323). By coupling the components to the chassis 323 rather than the front cover assembly 301 and / or the rear cover 372, the cost and complexity of the front cover assembly 301 and the rear cover assembly 373 can be reduced, and the removal and / or replacement of the front cover assembly 301 and / or the rear cover 372 can be simplified. The chassis 323 may also define one or more holes extending therethrough to facilitate coupling components on one side of the chassis 323 (e.g., the display 303 and / or sensors of the front cover assembly 301) to components on the other side of the chassis 323 (e.g., the circuit board assembly 320). Additionally, as described above, the chassis 323 may also be thermally coupled to components of the device 300, such as the circuit board assembly 320, to conduct heat away from the thermally coupled components.

[0295] The housing section 314 can be a one-piece structure formed from a single piece of material. For example, the one-piece structure of the housing section 314 can be a metal, such as aluminum, steel, titanium, etc., and can be formed by extrusion, machining, and / or a combination of these processes and other forming processes. Thus, the wall sections 317 and 319 (which define the outer side surfaces of the device 300) and the chassis 323 can be different parts of a single piece of material. In some cases, the housing section 314 is formed from a polymeric material, a reinforced polymeric material (e.g., fiber-reinforced), carbon fiber, or other suitable material. In some cases, the wall sections 317, 319 can be separate housing components attached to the chassis 323, similar to the construction of the housing section 217 described above.

[0296] As described above, the housing structure 310 can include housing components 312, 313, 315, and 316 that are structurally joined together via a joint structure 318 and / or joined to the housing section 314 (the intermediate housing section 314). The joint structure 318 (e.g., the material of the joint structure) can extend over the inner surfaces of the housing components. More specifically, a portion of the joint structure 318 can contact, cover, encapsulate, and / or engage with a retention feature that extends from the inner surface of the housing component (including, for example, from the wall section of the intermediate housing section 314). When the wall sections 317 and 319 are part of a single one-piece structure, the joint structure 318 can also be used to structurally join the housing components 312, 313, 315, and 316 to the housing section 314. When coupled via the joint structure 318, the housing section 314, the housing components 312, 313, 315, and 316, and the joint structure 318 can define a main housing assembly that defines the outer side surface of the device 300 and the chassis 323 within the device.

[0297] The housing components 312, 313, 315, and 316 can be formed from aluminum, stainless steel, or other metals. The housing components can also be formed from a cladding structure that includes multiple materials (as described above).

[0298] In some cases, where holes (e.g., for buttons, audio ports, charging ports, etc.) are formed through the cladding and core portions of the cladded housing component, a seam between the cladding portion and the core portion can be present within the hole (e.g., along the hole surface). In some cases, the seam can be covered with another material, such as a coating, an adhesive, a polymer layer, etc. Covering the seam can help prevent galvanic corrosion at the seam due to contact with water or other liquids.

[0299] In some cases, a metal deposition process is used to create holes through the cladding outer shell component, and these holes do not include seams along the hole surface. For example, a hole through the outer shell can be formed by first forming a hole only through the core material. Then additional cladding material is added to the hole (such as via a direct metal deposition process) such that the cladding material substantially fills the hole through the core portion. Then a final hole is formed through the cladding material and the additional cladding material (added by the metal deposition process) such that the entire hole surface through the outer shell component is formed by the cladding material (e.g., the core material does not define the hole surface). In this way, there is no seam between different metals in the hole, thereby reducing the risk of galvanic corrosion within the hole.

[0300] As described herein, the outer shell components 312, 313, 315, and 316 and the wall sections 317, 319 can provide a rugged and impact-resistant sidewall for the device 300. In this example, the outer shell components 312, 313, 315, and 316 and the wall sections 317, 319 define a flat sidewall that extends around the perimeter of the device 300. The flat sidewall can include rounded or chamfered edges that define the upper and lower edges of the sidewall of the outer shell structure 310. The outer shell components 312, 313, 315, and 316 and the wall sections 317, 319 can each have a flange portion or lip that extends around and at least partially covers the respective sides of the front cover 302 and the rear cover 372. There may be no gap material or element between the flange portion or lip and the respective side surfaces of the front cover 302 and the rear cover 372. This can allow forces or impacts applied to the outer shell structure 310 to be transferred to the front cover 302 and the rear cover 372 without affecting the display or other internal structural elements, which can improve the drop performance of the device 300.

[0301] The device 300 can also include buttons 385 with touch sensors incorporated into the outer surface, which can correspond to Figure 1CThe button 155) in. For example, the button 385 can detect force (or translation or press) input, and can also detect touch input applied to the button surface. The force input can be detected by a strain sensing system, a switch member, or any other suitable force and / or translation sensor (and / or combination of sensors, such as a collapsible leaf switch combined with a force sensor). The touch input can be detected by a touch sensing system such as a capacitive touch sensing system. For example, the button member of the button 385 (e.g., the movable part that a user presses to actuate the button or provide input to the button) can include a touch sensing element positioned thereon. A button equipped with a touch sensing element can detect various types of touch-based input, including static touch input (e.g., a finger touching the touch-sensitive button surface), dynamic touch input (e.g., a finger sliding along the touch-sensitive button surface, also known as a gesture or swipe input), etc. In some cases, the button 385 can include a touch sensing element to detect such touch-based input. As described herein, the button 385 can operate in conjunction with a haptic actuation system (e.g., the haptic actuator 322) to generate a haptic output in response to detecting an input (e.g., force input, touch input, etc.) at the button 385.

[0302] As Figure 3 As shown, the device 300 includes a plurality of antennas that can be adapted to wirelessly communicate using a 5G communication protocol. For example, the device 300 can include an antenna module 347, which can include one or more antenna arrays that can be configured to transmit and receive wireless communication signals through the rear cover 372 and / or through other housing components of the device (e.g., the radio frequency transmission components of the device or the housing). The antenna module can be attached to the back surface or the bottom surface of the circuit board assembly 320.

[0303] The antenna module can include a plurality of antenna arrays. For example, the antenna module can include one or more millimeter wave antenna arrays. In cases where the antenna module includes a plurality of millimeter wave antenna arrays (each antenna array can include one or more radiating elements), the plurality of millimeter wave antenna arrays can be configured to operate according to a diversity scheme (e.g., spatial diversity, pattern diversity, polarization diversity, etc.). The antenna module can also include one or more ultra-wideband antennas.

[0304] Each of these antenna arrays (e.g., millimeter wave arrays of antenna arrays and antenna modules) may be adapted for millimeter wave 5G communication and may be adapted to receive signals using beamforming or other techniques or in conjunction with beamforming or other techniques depending on usage. Device 300 may also include multiple antennas for performing multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless communication schemes, including 4G, 4G LTE, and / or 5G MIMO communication protocols. As described herein, one or more of the housing components 312, 313, 315, and 316 and the wall sections 317, 319 (or portions thereof) may be adapted to function as antennas for MIMO wireless communication schemes (or other wireless communication schemes).

[0305] As described herein, the device housing may include a thermal blocker that inhibits heat transfer along certain paths in the device. Figure 4A The housing structure 210 is illustrated, which includes a thermal blocker 404 defined by a chassis section 219 passing through a housing segment 217. The thermal blocker 404 may be a through hole extending through the chassis section 219. The thermal blocker 404 may be positioned between a housing component 214 (which defines a wall section that defines at least a portion of the side surface of the device 200) and a location where a processing element 400 on a circuit board assembly 220 at which is thermally coupled to the chassis section 219 (e.g., a thermal coupling region 407, Figure 4C ) between. For example, the circuit board assembly 220 may be coupled to the chassis section 219 and may be thermally coupled to the chassis section 219 at the thermal coupling region 407 via a thermal bridge 402. The thermal bridge 402 may be positioned above or overlapping the location of the processing element 400 on the circuit board assembly 220. In some cases, the circuit board assembly 220 includes a circuit board, and the processing element is coupled to a first surface of the circuit board, and the thermal bridge is thermally coupled to a second surface of the circuit board and positioned below the processing element. In some cases, the processing element 400 may be positioned between two circuit boards of the circuit board assembly 220. The thermal bridge 402 may be any suitable thermal coupling, including graphite-wrapped foam, a thermally conductive loop structure, thermal paste or gel, direct metal-to-metal coupling, or other suitable thermal bridges. In some cases, no separate thermal bridge is included, but heat from the processing element 400 may be thermally coupled to the chassis section 219 at the location Figure 4A indicated as the location of the processing element 400. As Figure 4A depicted, the circuit board assembly 220, the processor 400, and the thermal bridge 402 may be positioned on the side of the chassis section 219 opposite the side shown.

[0306] As described, the thermal blocker 404 can be positioned in the thermal path 409 extending from a thermal coupling region (e.g., where heat from the processor 400 or circuit board assembly is more generally transferred to the chassis section 219) to a wall section defined by the housing member 214. As shown, the thermal path generally extends in the x direction. The thermal blocker 404 thus interrupts the direct heat conduction path (which would otherwise exist through the chassis section 219) through the chassis section 219 (e.g., indicated by the dashed arrow in Figure 4A ) to the housing member 214 (and thus to the outer surface of the device), and is thus configured to interrupt the heat flow from the circuit board assembly to the housing member 214 (e.g., the wall section defined by the housing member 214). Accordingly, the temperature along the outer surface of the housing member 214 can be less than the temperature in the case where the path through the chassis section 219 is continuous. This can also allow the processor to operate at a higher temperature (due to operating at a higher processing performance and / or speed) without causing an undesired temperature increase at the outer surface. Thus, the thermal blocker 404 can improve the thermal performance as well as the operational (e.g., processing) performance of the device.

[0307] The through-hole of the thermal blocker 404 can define an elongated opening extending along a longitudinal axis that is parallel to the first side outer surface of the device (e.g., parallel to the y direction of the device). The elongated opening extending in the y direction of the device can provide thermal resistance in the x direction while also reducing material loss in the chassis section 219 and maintaining the structural integrity of the chassis section 219. In some cases, the elongated opening can have a length in the y direction that is equal to or substantially equal to the length of the thermal coupling region in the y direction.

[0308] Although Figure 4A illustrates heat transfer from the processing element to the chassis section 219, the thermal blocker can alternatively or additionally be positioned elsewhere on the chassis section 219 to interrupt heat transfer from other components. For example, the battery 230 can be thermally coupled to the chassis section 219 at a particular location, and the thermal blocker can be positioned between that particular location and the housing member. A thermal blocker can be provided in the chassis section 219 to inhibit heat transfer from other components or heat sources.

[0309] The thermal blocker can be positioned between the thermal coupling region on the chassis section 219 and the nearest outer surface of the housing. Thus, the thermal blocker can provide a gap along the heat conduction path that is most likely to cause a temperature increase at the outer surface of the device.

[0310] Figure 4BDepicts a partial exploded view of device 200, which shows a front cover assembly 201 separated from a housing structure 210. A thermal dissipation member 410 may be positioned on a chassis section 219 of the housing structure 210. The thermal dissipation member 410 may be formed of one or more layers of graphite or other thermally conductive material and may be adhered to or otherwise coupled to the surface of the chassis section 219. The thermal dissipation member 410 may have a thickness between about 10 microns and about 20 microns. The thermal dissipation member 410 may extend over at least 80% (or over 85%, or 90%, or 95% of the first side of the chassis section) of the first side of the chassis section.

[0311] The thermal dissipation member 410 may be configured to generally receive heat from other components and dissipate that heat over a large area. The thermal dissipation member 410 may also transfer heat to the chassis section 219. For example, the thermal dissipation member 410 is positioned opposite the display of the front cover assembly 201 (e.g., the bottom layer of the display stack faces the thermal dissipation member 410). Heat from the display may be transferred to the thermal dissipation member 410 across an air gap (or via direct contact). The received heat may generally be diffused or spread throughout the thermal dissipation member 410 and optionally into the chassis section 219. Example effects of the thermal dissipation member 410 include reducing peak temperatures in the display and / or the front cover assembly 201, transferring heat away from the display, and creating a more uniform or consistent temperature distribution in the display and / or the front cover assembly 201 and in the chassis section 219.

[0312] Figure 4C is a partial cross-sectional view of device 200 taken along line 4C-4C in Figure 4B . Figure 4C Illustrates an example position of various components within device 200. As Figure 4C shown, the chassis section 219 is positioned between the front cover assembly 201 and the rear cover assembly 273. The chassis section 219 may define at least a portion of a first internal cavity 416 between the chassis section 219 and the front cover assembly 201 and at least a portion of a second internal cavity 417 between the chassis section 219 and the rear cover assembly 273. The battery 230 and the circuit board assembly 220 may be positioned in the second internal cavity 417 between the chassis section 219 and the rear cover assembly 273. The battery 230 and the circuit board assembly 220 (and the processing element 400) are additionally thermally coupled to the surface of the chassis section 219 along the first side of the chassis section 219, as described herein.

[0313] For example, Figure 4C illustrates a thermal dissipation member 410 (e.g., one or more layers of graphite) positioned on a second side of the chassis section 219 (in the first internal cavity 416) and below the front cover assembly 201 (e.g., opposite the display 203 across an air gap, Figure 2 ).Figure 4C Also illustrated is a processing element 400 of a circuit board assembly 220 thermally coupled to a first side (opposite the second side) of the chassis section 219 via a thermal bridge 402, and a thermal blocker 404 positioned between the coupling location and an outer surface defined by the housing member 214. As described, the circuit board assembly 220 is thermally coupled to the chassis section 219 at a thermal coupling region 407 (e.g., via the thermal bridge 402).

[0314] Figure 4C Also illustrated is an example arrangement of a battery 230 within the device 200. For example, the battery 230 may be coupled to the first side of the chassis section 219, such as via an adhesive 412. As described herein, the adhesive 412 may be an electrically detachable adhesive or another suitable adhesive. In some cases, a thermal diffusion member 414 is positioned between the battery 230 and the first side of the chassis section 219 (e.g., in a region where the adhesive 412 is absent). The thermal diffusion member 414 may be coupled to the chassis section 219 and may or may not be in contact with the battery 230. The thermal diffusion member 414 may be formed of one or more layers of graphite or other thermally conductive material. The thermal diffusion member 414 may have a thickness between about 10 microns and about 20 microns. The thermal diffusion member 414 may be configured to generally receive heat from other components and spread the heat throughout the diffusion member 414 and also transfer the heat to the chassis section 219. For example, heat from the battery 230 may be transferred to the thermal diffusion member 414 across an air gap (or via direct contact), and the received heat may generally spread throughout the thermal diffusion member 414 and optionally into the chassis section 219. Example effects of the thermal diffusion member 414 include reducing peak temperatures in the battery 230, transferring heat away from the battery 230, and creating a more uniform or consistent temperature distribution in the battery 230 and in the chassis section 219. In some cases, the thermal diffusion member 414 is positioned between the battery 230 and the chassis section 219 and also extends along other portions of the chassis section 219 to be positioned between other components and the chassis section 219. For example, a portion of the thermal diffusion member 414 may be positioned between the circuit board assembly 220 and the chassis section 219.

[0315] Although Figures 4A to 4C the components of the device 200 are used to illustrate various features and concepts, it should be understood that the same features and concepts equally apply to corresponding components of the device 300 or other devices described herein.

[0316] Figures 5 to 6 Illustrated is a circuit board assembly 220 that includes various features that improve the thermal performance of the circuit board assembly 220. As Figure 5As shown, the circuit board assembly 220 may include one or more covers (e.g., shielding structures), such as covers 500, 502, 504. Covers 500, 502, 504 may be positioned over circuit components coupled to the outer side of the circuit board assembly 220 and may at least partially cover and / or encapsulate these circuit components. Covers 500, 502, 504 may be formed of a thermally conductive material such as metal. In some cases, these covers are formed of aluminum rather than other metals such as steel, nickel, etc. to provide high thermal conductivity. The covers may absorb heat from the circuit components and spread the heat along the covers (which may be a larger area than the circuit components themselves, thereby reducing the peak temperature), and may also help transfer the heat to other device structures (e.g., Figure 2 the rear cover assembly 273). In some cases, the covers may be mounted on the surface of the circuit board assembly 220 opposite the surface coupled to the chassis section 219 (e.g., the covers may be on the surface facing the rear cover assembly of the device).

[0317] Figure 6 Illustrated is a circuit board assembly 220 having additional heat components coupled thereto. Specifically, the circuit board assembly 220 includes a heat spreader member 506 coupled to the top outer surface of the cover. The heat spreader member 506 may be formed of one or more layers of graphite or other thermally conductive material and may be coupled to the cover. The heat spreader member 506 may have a thickness between about 10 microns and about 20 microns. The heat spreader member 506 may be configured to generally receive heat from the cover and spread the heat throughout the member, and optionally transfer the heat to other components or structures in the device. The heat spreader member 506 may be a single member spanning the gaps between multiple metal covers, thereby thermally coupling the multiple covers and providing a relatively larger heat spreading area (compared to individual covers) for the covers.

[0318] One or more heat bridges 508 may be positioned on the covers (and on the heat spreader member 506 if present) to transfer heat from the circuit board assembly via the covers to other device components or structures. For example, heat bridges 508-1, 508-2, 508-3 may contact the rear cover assembly 273 to transfer heat from the circuit board assembly 220 to the rear cover assembly 273. The heat bridges 508 may be any suitable thermal coupling, including graphite-wrapped foam, a thermally conductive loop structure, thermal paste or gel, direct metal-to-metal coupling, or other suitable heat bridges.

[0319] Although Figures 5 to 6 the components of device 200 are used to illustrate various features and concepts, it should be understood that the same features and concepts equally apply to the corresponding components of device 300 or other devices described herein.

[0320] Figures 7A to 7DIllustrates various aspects of the battery 230. Although this description uses the battery 230 as an example, the same concepts discussed with respect to the battery 230 may be used by other batteries described herein, including the battery 330.

[0321] As noted above, the battery 230 may include a conductive battery housing, such as a metal housing 701 that encloses battery cells (e.g., the battery cells may include electrode assemblies and electrolytes). The battery cells may be within the metal housing 701. The metal housing 701 may provide a substantially rigid outer structure for the battery 230. Compared to foil or pouch-type flexible housings, the metal battery housing may be manufactured to closer dimensional tolerances (e.g., less variation in battery size). This may allow for larger internal battery components, thereby improving battery capacity and device performance. This may also allow for a reduced space allocated to the battery within the device, thereby allowing for more space for other device components or allowing the device to be manufactured smaller. The housing 701 may be formed of stainless steel, aluminum, or other suitable conductive materials. In some cases, the housing 701 includes one or more claddings or coatings to improve thermal performance. For example, a stainless steel housing 701 may include an aluminum cladding (or an aluminum housing may include a stainless steel cladding). The aluminum material may improve the thermal performance of the housing 701 because aluminum has a higher thermal conductivity compared to stainless steel.

[0322] The battery 230 may include a first conductive connector 702 and a second conductive connector 704 to facilitate conductive coupling to the cathode of the battery cell (connector 702) and conductive coupling to the anode of the battery cell (connector 704). As described herein, the metal housing 701 (or another conductive battery housing) may be conductively coupled to the anode of the battery cell such that the metal of the housing 701 is at the same potential as the anode (e.g., the housing 701 is at the negative or common voltage potential of the battery 230). In such cases, the first conductive connector 702 (e.g., the cathode) may be electrically isolated from the housing 701. After the electrode assembly is positioned within the housing 701 and the housing 701 is sealed closed, holes in the housing may be used to fill the enclosure with an electrolyte solution or other liquid.

[0323] Figure 7B Illustrates an exploded view of the battery 230. As shown, the housing 701 includes an upper housing structure 708 and a lower housing structure 712. The lower housing structure 712 may define the bottom wall and the peripheral sidewalls of the housing 701, and the upper housing structure 708 may define the top wall of the housing 701. The bottom wall of the housing may be attached to the chassis of the device (e.g., chassis 219, 323), such as via an adhesive (e.g., an electrically detachable adhesive).

[0324] The walls of the housing 701 (e.g., the bottom wall and the top wall) may also be configured to transfer heat from the battery 230 to other device components, such as the chassis (e.g., a graphite layer mounted on the chassis), the rear cover assembly (e.g., a graphite layer mounted on the rear cover assembly), etc. In some cases, a heat bridge may be positioned between the battery 230 and other device structures (e.g., between the lower housing structure 712 and the chassis (such as chassis 219, 323)) to transfer heat from the battery 230 to the chassis. The heat bridge may include graphite-wrapped foam or a graphite-coated circuit, where the circuit or foam structure holds the graphite (which provides thermal conductivity) in contact with the battery 230 and other structures.

[0325] In some cases, the housing 701 may include or define one or more tabs. The tabs may extend from the outer housing and may be coupled to other device components. In some cases, the tabs define a thermal coupling between the housing 701 and other components. The tabs may be used to transfer heat from the battery to other components (e.g., to the chassis of the device), or to transfer heat from other components to the battery. In some cases, the tabs may include attachment features (e.g., through holes) to facilitate fastening a component to the battery (or fastening the battery to other components). For example, the tabs may be used to attach components such as a circuit board assembly, a camera, a speaker module, etc. to the battery 230 (or to attach the battery 230 to another component such as the chassis, a housing member, etc.).

[0326] The upper and lower housing structures 708, 712 may be formed of stainless steel, aluminum, a bimetal clad material (e.g., stainless steel and aluminum), or other suitable materials. The upper and lower housing structures 708, 712 may have a thickness between about 80 microns and about 120 microns, or between about 95 microns and about 110 microns. In some cases, the selected thickness allows the lower housing structure 712 to withstand a deep drawing operation to form the shape of the lower housing structure 712 (e.g., a basin-like shape defined by a bottom wall and a peripheral side wall). For example, selecting a material thickness such that the final thickness of the lower housing structure 712 is between about 95 microns and about 110 microns may allow the material to be formed without excessive thinning or other structural problems (such as at the inner corner 707 of the L-shaped housing).

[0327] As Figure 7B shown, the battery 230 includes an electrode assembly 710, which may include a wound electrode configuration (sometimes referred to as a "jelly roll" or a folded or stacked electrode configuration). The electrode assembly 710 may generally conform to the shape of the housing 701. Thus, in the illustrated example, both the housing 701 and the electrode assembly 710 may be generally L-shaped. The electrode assembly 710 may be positioned within the housing 701, and an adhesive 711 may couple the electrode assembly 710 to the housing 701. While Figure 7BIllustrated is that the adhesive 711 is on top of the electrode assembly 710 to adhere to the upper housing structure 708, but a similar adhesive can be positioned on the bottom of the electrode assembly 710 to adhere to the lower housing structure 712. The adhesive 711 can be a styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS) adhesive or any other suitable adhesive. The adhesive 711 can prevent or inhibit movement of the electrode assembly 710 within the housing 701.

[0328] The electrode assembly 710 can also include (respectively) cathode and anode conductive terminals 716, 714 that are conductively coupled to (or define) the electrode assembly 710. As described with respect to Figure 7C and Figure 7D the conductive terminals 716, 714 can be conductively coupled to the conductive connectors 702, 704 respectively to allow the battery to provide power to external components of the device.

[0329] To assemble the battery 230, the electrode assembly 710 can be positioned between the upper and lower housing structures (e.g., within the lower housing structure 712), and the upper and lower housing structures can be sealed. For example, the upper and lower housing structures can be welded together. In the Figure 7B example shown, the lower housing structure 712 defines a flange 709, and the outer peripheral portion of the upper housing structure 708 can be welded to the flange 709 along the entire outer perimeter of the housing 701. During the assembly process, the adhesive 711 (and the adhesive on the bottom of the electrode assembly 710) can contact the surface of the housing 701 to adhesively couple the electrode assembly 710 to the housing 701.

[0330] Once the housing is sealed, an electrolyte (e.g., a liquid, gel, or other flowable material) can be introduced into the housing via a hole 718 formed through the housing. Once the electrolyte has been introduced, the hole 718 can be sealed shut.

[0331] Figures 7C to 7D are partial cross-sectional views of the battery 230 taken (respectively) along Figure 7A lines 7C-7C and 7D-7D in Figures 7C to 7D Illustrates an example coupling between the conductive terminals of the electrode assembly 710 and the conductive connectors 702, 704.

[0332] As noted above, the conductive terminal 714 of the electrode assembly 710 (which can be or can include a flexible conductive element) (which is coupled to or defines the anode (e.g., negative terminal or neutral terminal) of the battery of the battery 230) is conductively and physically coupled to the housing 701. As Figure 7CAs shown, a conductive terminal 714 (which is conductively coupled to one or more electrodes in the electrode assembly 710) is attached to the inner surface of the housing 701 (e.g., the inner surface of the outer peripheral wall of the lower housing structure 712). For example, the conductive terminal 714 can be coupled by welding, soldering, brazing, or using a conductive adhesive. By attaching the conductive terminal 714 to the housing 701 itself, the entire housing 701 can be at the anode potential of the battery (e.g., negative connection or neutral connection). The conductive connector 704 can be a conductive pad configured to physically and conductively couple to other circuit components of the device to provide power to the device. Since the conductive terminal 714 is conductively coupled to the housing 701, the conductive connector 704 can be attached to the housing 701 to be conductively coupled to the conductive terminal 714. Thus, for example, the conductive connector 704 can be welded, soldered, brazed, or otherwise attached to the housing 701 (in a manner that conductively couples them).

[0333] Figure 7D An example coupling between conductive terminals 716 (which can be or can include flexible conductive elements) that are coupled to or define the cathode (e.g., positive terminal) of the battery is illustrated. Since the housing 701 is conductively coupled to the cathode, the conductive terminals 716 and the conductive connector 702 are electrically isolated from the housing 701. For example, the connector assembly that provides the conductive connection to the conductive terminal 716 can include an internal conductive member 731, a conductive connector 702, an external insulator 730-1, and an internal insulator 730-2. The conductive terminal 716 can be conductively coupled to the conductive member 731, which can be a metal or other conductive plate within the housing 701. The conductive terminal 716 can be welded, soldered, brazed, or otherwise conductively coupled to the conductive member 731. The internal insulator 730-2 is positioned between the conductive member 731 and the inner surface of the housing 701 to electrically isolate the conductive member 731 (and thus the conductive terminal 716) from the housing 701. The internal insulator 730-2 can be formed of an electrically insulating or dielectric material (such as a polymer) to provide the electrical isolation.

[0334] The outer insulator 730-1 can be positioned between the conductive connector 702 and the outer surface of the housing 701. The outer insulator 730-1 can also include a ferrule portion 732 that extends into and / or through the hole 735 in the housing 701 to electrically isolate the hole surface from the conductive connector 702. The conductive connector 702 can define an extension portion 733 that extends through the hole 735 and is electrically coupled to the conductive member 731. The ferrule portion 732 of the outer insulator 730-1 can ensure that the extension portion 733 does not contact the housing 701 in the hole 735, thereby maintaining electrical insulation between the conductive connector 702 and the housing 701. The extension portion 733 can be attached to the conductive member 731 by welding, brazing, soldering, swaging, or otherwise in a manner that electrically couples the conductive connector 702 to the conductive member 731 and secures the conductive connector 702 to the conductive member 731. By securing the conductive connector 702 to the conductive member 731, the conductive member 731, the inner insulator 730-2, and the outer insulator 730-1 can be effectively clamped in place, thereby holding the components to the housing 701 and sealing the hole 735.

[0335] Although Figures 7A to 7D the components of device 200 are used to illustrate various features and concepts, it should be understood that the same features and concepts equally apply to the corresponding components of device 300 or other devices described herein.

[0336] Figure 8A A portion of device 140 is shown, and specifically, a portion of the rear of device 140 including the protrusion 137 that defines the raised sensor array region 163 of device 140. The rear cover 154 also defines a first hole 159 through the protrusion 137 in the raised sensor array region 163 and a second hole 160 through the protrusion 137 in the raised sensor array region 163. The first lens of the first camera 138 extends at least partially into the first hole 159, and the second lens of the second camera 139 extends at least partially into the second hole 160.

[0337] Device 140 also includes a flash 136 (which can be or can include a flash module) that is at least partially within the device housing and positioned outside the raised sensor array region 163, and at least partially extends into a third hole 162 (e.g., a flash hole) defined by the rear cover 154 outside the raised sensor array region 163.

[0338] The rear cover 154 also defines a fourth hole 135 corresponding to a microphone port (e.g., microphone port 135). The fourth hole 135 is defined as passing through the protrusion 137 in the raised sensor array region 163, and the microphone module is acoustically coupled to the fourth hole 135.

[0339] The camera lens, flash, and microphone ports can be arranged relative to each other in a specific orientation. For example, a first aperture 159 (for the camera) and a second aperture 160 are aligned along a first direction (e.g., parallel to the lateral side of the phone; parallel to the y-direction), and a third aperture 162 (for the flash and microphone) and a fourth aperture 135 are aligned along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (e.g., perpendicular to the y-direction, and / or parallel to the x-direction). Additionally, the third aperture 162 is equidistant from the first aperture 159 and the second aperture 160, and the fourth aperture 135 is also equidistant from the first aperture 159 and the second aperture 160. The alignment and positioning of the third and fourth apertures relative to the camera (e.g., the first aperture 159 and the second aperture 160) in this manner can provide optical and acoustic performance advantages. For example, the flash can provide a substantially equal or uniform illumination pattern for each camera in the device, and the microphone ports similarly have the same or similar relative positions with respect to each camera in the device, thereby providing the same or similar illumination and audio capture performance during image capture using any of the cameras.

[0340] As described herein, when the microphone port 135 is positioned in the raised sensor array region 163, the microphone module that receives audio through the microphone port is positioned outside the raised sensor array region 163 (e.g., beneath a region of the back cover 154 that is outside the protrusion 137). Thus, the device 140 can include a bracket 158 that is coupled to the back cover 154 (e.g., on the inner side of the back cover assembly) and at least partially defines an acoustic waveguide 164 that is configured to acoustically couple the microphone module 165 ( Figure 8D ) to the fourth aperture 135. The acoustic waveguide thus allows the microphone port 135 to be located in the raised sensor array region 163 while allowing the microphone itself to be positioned away from the raised sensor array region 163. More specifically, because the camera is located beneath the raised sensor array region 163, there may not be enough space within the device to also incorporate the microphone module into the raised sensor array region (without increasing the thickness of the device in the z-direction). Thus, the acoustic waveguide 164 can allow the microphone port 135 to be placed in the raised sensor array region 163 without increasing the size or thickness of the device 140. Although this example describes an acoustic waveguide for acoustically coupling a hole in a raised sensor array region to a microphone module that is remote from the raised sensor array region, the same or a similar construction can be used to acoustically couple or fluidically couple a hole in a raised sensor array to other remotely located components. For example, a pressure sensor can be located away from the raised sensor array region and fluidically coupled to a hole in the raised sensor array using the same or similar components and techniques described herein (e.g., an acoustic waveguide can be used to fluidically couple the hole to the pressure sensor). As another example, a remote pneumatic ventilation system can be fluidically coupled to a hole in the raised sensor array. Other components are also conceivable.

[0341] Figure 8B illustrates Figure 8A a portion of the device 140 shown in Figure 8A , with the back cover assembly removed. As Figure 8B shown, the device 140 includes a rear camera assembly 170 that is at least partially positioned within the housing of the device 140. Figure 8C illustrates a perspective view of the camera assembly 170. The camera assembly 170 includes a first lens assembly 167 that at least partially extends into a first camera aperture 159 ( Figure 8A ) and a second lens assembly 168 that at least partially extends into a second camera aperture 160 ( Figure 8A ). The first lens assembly and the second lens assembly may be coupled to a camera housing 166. The camera housing 166 may be formed of metal or other suitable material and may support the first lens assembly and the second lens assembly as well as other camera components (including an image sensor, optical components, circuitry, etc.).

[0342] The camera housing 166 may define a recess 169 along one side of the camera housing 166 to receive a portion of a cover 171 of a microphone module. Specifically, as noted above, the microphone module for the rear sensor array may be positioned outside the raised sensor array region but acoustically coupled to a microphone port in the raised sensor array region. To accommodate the microphone module in proximity to the microphone port, the camera housing 166 defines the recess 169 such that the cover 171 may extend into the recess and at least partially overlap the camera housing 166.

[0343] The recess 169 may be generally between the cameras of the camera assembly 170 and may extend into the camera housing 166 only a portion of the thickness of the camera housing 166. More specifically, the non-recessed regions 173 or corners of the camera housing 166 may be occupied by components of the camera and, thus, the recess may be limited to a portion of the depth of the camera housing 166. The recess 169 may also provide clearance in the z direction between the cover 171 and the camera housing 166 such that, in the event the device is subjected to shock or other forces, the force is not directly applied to the back cover through the cover 171 (e.g., due to contact between the cover 171 and the camera housing 166).

[0344] The camera housing 166 may also define a recessed region 172 around the second lens assembly 168. The recessed region 172 may be recessed along the outer surface of the camera housing 166 relative to a region 174 around the first lens assembly 167. In some cases, the camera housing 166 may be thinned in the region 174 to allow the camera module within the camera housing 166 to be positioned closer to the back cover assembly, which may cause the first lens assembly 167 to extend further into the first aperture 159 in the back cover and, thus, allow the use of a thinner camera cover (compared to a housing with non-thinned walls).

[0345] The recessed area 172 and the non-recessed area 174 may define substantially flat surfaces that extend completely around the second lens assembly and the first lens assembly, respectively, to provide a continuous flat surface on which a seal may be positioned. The seal may provide a light seal and an environmental seal for the camera housing 166 and / or the lens assembly. The seal may contact or seal against the inner side of the rear cover assembly. The seal may be formed of or include foam, adhesive, or other deformable sealing materials.

[0346] Figure 8C Also illustrated is a flexible circuit element 802 that operatively couples one or more cameras in the rear camera assembly 170 (e.g., a first camera associated with the first lens assembly 167 and / or a second camera associated with the second lens assembly 168) to a processing system of the electronic device (e.g., coupled to a circuit board assembly having a processor or coupled to another processing system). The flexible circuit element 802 may extend along a side of the camera housing 166 and specifically along the side of the camera housing 166 that defines the recess 169. The flexible circuit element 802 may define a notch 804 that is aligned with the recess 169 (e.g., conforms to the perimeter of the recess 169 or does not block or cover the recess 169 from the side). The notch 804 thus provides clearance at the location of the recess 169 to allow the cover 171 to extend into both the recess 169 and the notch 804. Traces or other conductive elements in the flexible circuit element 802 may be routed along one side of the notch 804 through the flexible circuit element 802 (e.g., through a portion of the circuit substrate that defines the notch area).

[0347] Figure 8D An example of a portion of the rear cover assembly positioned over the rear camera assembly 170 is illustrated. The rear cover assembly includes a rear cover 154 and a camera cover 180 that covers the first lens assembly 167 and a camera cover 179 that covers the second lens assembly 168. Also shown are seals 177, 178 that seal against the recessed area 172 and the non-recessed area 174 as described above.

[0348] Figure 8D Also illustrated is an example of a microphone module 165, a flash module 187, a cover 171, and a bracket 158 coupled to the inner surface of the rear cover 154. The cover 171 may at least partially cover the flash module 187 and the microphone module 165 and may at least partially structurally couple the flash module 187 and the microphone module 165 to the rear cover 154.

[0349] As noted above, the bracket 158 defines a sound waveguide 164 that acoustically couples the microphone port 135 to the microphone module 165. Figure 9Shows a separate view of the exemplary bracket 158. The bracket 158 may include or define a base 184 and a continuous wall 183 extending from the base 184. The bracket 158 may also define a hole 181 that is acoustically coupled to the microphone module 165. The bracket 158 may also define a hole 186 through which the flash module may at least partially extend (and / or through which the flash may emit light). The flash module 187 may also be coupled to the bracket 158 (e.g., via an adhesive, a fastener, a mechanical coupling, etc.).

[0350] The continuous wall 183 may be positioned against the rear cover (or rear cover assembly) to define an acoustic waveguide 164 between the base 184 and the rear cover (or any other component of the rear cover assembly). For example, when positioned against the rear cover, the continuous wall 183 defines a channel or tunnel that acoustically couples the microphone port 135 to the microphone module 165. For example, Figure 9 Shows an exemplary acoustic path 182 defined by the acoustic waveguide 164. In this example, the acoustic path 182 extends through the microphone port, into the first end of the acoustic waveguide 164, through the channel or tunnel defined by the wall 183, the base 184, and the rear cover (or other rear cover component), and through the hole 181 at the second end (opposite the first end) of the acoustic waveguide, to reach the microphone module 165.

[0351] In some cases, a compliant material, an adhesive, or other sealing element may be positioned along the top of the wall 183 or otherwise positioned between the top of the wall 183 and the rear cover assembly. The compliant material, adhesive, or other sealing element may seal the acoustic waveguide, thereby reducing sound attenuation or loss or other acoustic interference or problems. The bracket 158 may be formed of a polymer, a metal, or other suitable material (including combinations or assemblies of different materials).

[0352] Figure 10A Is a partial cross-sectional view of the housing component 1000 having a cladding structure. The housing component 1000 may correspond to any housing and / or housing component described herein that may have a cladding structure, such as the housing components 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, and 130 of the device 100, or the housing components 211, 212, 213, 214, 215, or 216 of the device 200, or the housing components 312, 313, 317, 315, 316, or 319 of the device 300. Figure 10A May roughly correspond to the view along Figure 4A Line 10A-10A in

[0353] The housing component 1000 may include a core portion 1002 and a cladding portion 1004. The core portion 1002 may be directly bonded to the cladding portion 1004. The housing component 1000 may be formed by co-extruding the core portion 1002 and the cladding portion 1004 to form a pre-cladding material. In the pre-cladding material, the core portion 1002 and the cladding portion 1004 may be fused or otherwise bonded together. The fusion may occur along an interface (which may be within the body of the cladding member). The fusion may be characterized by a diffusion bond between the core portion 1002 and the cladding portion 1004 at the interface.

[0354] Then, the pre-material may be formed into the housing component 1000 (e.g., an extruded member) using various processes. For example, the pre-material may be forged and / or machined to define the overall shape and mechanical features of the housing component 1000 and then subjected to polishing, texturing, and / or coating operations. The mechanical features may include interlocking features for interlocking with a joint structure (e.g., to mechanically couple the housing components together), attachment features (e.g., holes for receiving fasteners), mounting surfaces, antenna feed points, and ground points, etc.

[0355] The cladding portion 1004 may define the outer surface 1003 of the housing component 1000. The core portion 1002 may define an inner surface of the device and / or the housing (e.g., a surface that is not external or externally visible in the completed device).

[0356] The outer surface 1003 defined by the cladding portion may have a surface texture that produces a particular visual appearance and / or tactile feel. For example, the surface texture may have a texture that produces diffuse reflection. The surface texture may be produced by grinding, sanding, machining, ablation, sandblasting (e.g., sandblasting, shot peening), etching (via mechanical etching, laser etching, chemical etching, etc.), or any other suitable texturing operation. The outer surface 1003 may also include a coating, such as a deposited coating. The deposited coating may be deposited on the housing component via plasma vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), etc. In some cases, the cladding portion 1004 is polished (before and / or after coating).

[0357] The core portion 1002 may be aluminum (e.g., an aluminum alloy), and the cladding portion 1004 may be titanium (e.g., a titanium alloy). In some cases, the core portion 1002 is aluminum and the cladding portion 1004 is stainless steel. Other materials may also be considered for the core portion and the cladding portion.

[0358] Both the core portion 1002 and the cladding portion 1004 can define a part of the mounting surfaces 1006 and 1008, and the front cover assembly and the rear cover assembly can be respectively coupled to these two mounting surfaces. For example, the frame member of the front cover assembly (which is coupled to the front cover) can be attached to the mounting surface 1006 via an adhesive. Another example is that the front cover can be directly attached to the adhesive. Similarly, the rear cover can be attached to the mounting surface 1008 via an adhesive. In some cases, the rear cover assembly includes a frame member or another component, and the frame member is attached to the mounting surface 1008 via an adhesive.

[0359] The cladding portion 1004 can also define a flange or lip portion 1010 that extends around the side of the front cover and at least partially covers the side of the front cover, and a flange or lip portion 1012 that extends around the side of the rear cover and at least partially covers the side of the rear cover. In some cases, the flange or lip portions 1010, 1012 are substantially flush with the outer surfaces of the front cover and the rear cover. In some cases, the flange or lip portions 1010, 1012 are defined only by the cladding portion 1004, while in other cases, they are at least partially defined by the core portion 1002.

[0360] Figure 10AAlso shown is an example structure for inhibiting or preventing galvanic corrosion in the area of a through - hole 1017 that extends through a wall section defined by a housing component 1000. The through - hole 1017 can represent a hole for a button, as shown, but the same or similar construction described herein can be used at holes for charging ports, speakers, SIM trays, microphones, dials, etc. As described herein, the through - hole can be formed by drilling through the core portion 1002 to expose the surface of the cladding portion 1004, adding material within the hole and (e.g., fusing the material to the exposed cladding surface), and then removing some of the added material (e.g., by drilling in the added material) to form the through - hole and a liner structure 1014 that remains fused to the cladding portion 1004. Since the liner structure 1014 is formed of the same material as the cladding portion 1004, there is little or no risk of galvanic corrosion at the seam 1024 or at the interface between the cladding portion 1004 and the liner structure 1014 within the through - hole. Additionally, the configuration of the liner structure 1014 causes the seam 1024 between the different metals of the core portion 1002 and the cladding portion 1004 (and the liner structure 1014) to be located within the interior volume of the environmental seal of the device, rather than along the hole surface where the seam could be in contact with water, moisture, or other liquids or contaminants. As described herein, this configuration can help prevent or inhibit galvanic corrosion at the seam 1024 between the material of the core portion 1002 and the material of the cladding portion 1004 and / or the liner structure 1014. In some cases, the core portion 1002 and the cladding portion 1004 can contact at the seam 1024. In such cases, there may or may not be a metallurgical bond at the seam 1024. In some cases, there may be a gap at the seam 1024 (e.g., the core portion and the cladding portion can be set to be spaced apart at the seam 1024).

[0361] As Figure 10A shown, the cladding portion 1004 defines a portion of the outer side surface of the device and a first portion 1015 of the through - hole 1017. The core portion 1002 coupled to the cladding portion 1004 defines a counterbore 1018 along the inner side of the housing component 1000. The counterbore 1018 extends through the core portion 1002 to the cladding portion 1004 and is aligned with the through - hole 1017. For example, the counterbore 1018 can be concentric with the through - hole 1017. In other cases, the counterbore 1018 does not need to be concentric with the through - hole 1017. More specifically, the counterbore 1018 can be set such that the liner structure 1014 can be fused to the cladding portion 1004 along a shelf or flange of the cladding portion 1004 (e.g., where the fusion region 1020 is located), as Figures 10C to 10D further illustrated in. Thus, the counterbore 1018 can have any suitable shape that allows the material of the liner structure 1014 to be fused to the cladding portion 1004.

[0362] As described herein, a liner structure 1014 that can be formed by metal deposition and machining processes is positioned within a counterbore 1018 and defines a second portion 1019 of a through hole. As described herein, the liner structure 1014 can be formed of the same material as the cladding portion 1004 and can be fused to the cladding portion 1004 at a fusion region 1020. Thus, the liner structure 1014 is represented by stippling in Figure 10A order to distinguish the liner structure 1014 from the cladding portion 1004.

[0363] The fusion region 1020 can define a third portion of the through hole 1017 between a first portion 1015 of the through hole and the second portion 1019 of the through hole. Thus, as described herein, the hole surface of the through hole can be a continuous hole surface that is partially defined by each of the cladding portion 1004, the fusion region 1020, and the liner structure 1014. More specifically, the cladding portion 1004 defines a first portion of the hole surface of the through hole 1017, the liner structure 1014 defines a second portion of the hole surface of the through hole 1017, and the fusion region 1020 between the cladding portion 1004 and the liner structure 1014 defines a third portion of the hole surface of the through hole 1017. As described herein, the continuous hole surface of the through hole 1017 can be a machined surface that is formed by drilling or otherwise machining a hole through the cladding portion 1004 and through a metal material that is fused to the cladding portion 1004 (and forms the liner structure 1014).

[0364] Since the cladding portion 1004, the fusion region 1020, and the liner structure 1014 are formed of the same material (e.g., a titanium alloy), the hole surface of the through hole does not experience or otherwise withstand galvanic corrosion that may occur in the presence of water or other liquids or contaminants within the through hole 1017. More specifically, forming the hole using the fusion liner structure as shown and described herein defines a single material surface along the interface where the liquid can contact. In this way, the liquid entering the through hole does not contact the seam between the different materials of the core portion and the cladding portion. For example, components such as buttons, SIM trays, speakers, etc. may extend into the through hole 1017. For example, an input member (e.g., of a button) may define a shaft that extends into the through hole 1017. A seal member 1021 may be positioned within the through hole 1017 and may be positioned against the shaft and the hole surface to define a seal against the liner structure 1014. The seal member may define a seal between the sealed interior volume of the device and the external environment and may inhibit the entry of liquid or moisture into the sealed interior volume of the device (where the seam 1024 between the core material and the cladding material may be exposed). Thus, the liquid is contained in the external region where there is no exposed seam between the core portion and the cladding portion. In other words, this configuration positions the seam 1024 between different metallic materials within the sealed interior volume of the device such that the seam is less likely to encounter liquid or moisture and is thus less likely to undergo galvanic (or other) corrosion.

[0365] Figures 10B to 10E Stages of an example process for forming a housing component (such as housing component 1000) having a fusion liner structure that defines a portion of a through hole are illustrated. Figure 10B A cladding precursor 1025 is illustrated that includes a cladding portion 1004 fused to a core portion 1002. As described herein, the cladding portion 1004 and the core portion 1002 may be fused together via diffusion bonding along an interface 1026. The diffusion bonding may be formed during an extrusion process as described herein.

[0366] As Figure 10C shown, a counterbore 1018 may be formed in the core portion 1002. The counterbore 1018 may extend completely into the cladding portion 1004 and may expose a surface 1028 of the cladding portion 1004. In other words, the counterbore 1018 may be a blind hole where at least the bottom surface of the blind hole is defined by the cladding portion 1004.

[0367] As Figure 10D shown, after forming the counterbore 1018, a material 1029 may be fusion bonded to the cladding portion 1004 along the surface 1028 inside the counterbore 1018. For example (in Figure 10F(described in more detail elsewhere), the material 1029 can be deposited on the cladding portion 1004 via a laser-based direct metal deposition process and fused to the cladding portion (wherein a laser is used to melt the filler material and fuse the filler material to the cladding portion 1004), thereby forming a fusion zone 1030 at the interface between the cladding portion 1004 and the material 1029. The fusion zone 1030 can correspond to a region where the material of the cladding portion 1004 and the material 1029 have melted together and re-solidified. As described herein, the cladding portion 1004 and the material 1029 can be the same metal and / or metal alloy, or can otherwise be formed of materials with a lower likelihood of galvanic interaction or corrosion (e.g., metals). As an example, the cladding portion 1004 and the material 1029 can be or can include titanium.

[0368] When the material 1029 is fused to the cladding portion 1004 due to a direct metal deposition operation, in some cases, the material 1029 (and thus the liner structure formed from the material 1029) can also be fused to the core portion 1002. For example, due to the heat transferred to the material 1029 during deposition and fusion of the material 1029 to the cladding portion 1004, the material 1029 can also be fused to the core portion 1002 along the bore surface of the counterbore 1018 (e.g., the material of the material 1029 and the core portion 1002 have melted together sufficiently and coalesced to form a solid structure composed of a mixture of the two materials). In other cases, the material 1029 may not be fused to the core portion 1002. For example, in some cases, the material 1029 can be in contact with the core portion 1002 but not fused to the core portion 1002. In other examples, the material 1029 and the core portion 1002 can be arranged to be spaced apart by a gap.

[0369] After the material 1029 is deposited and fused to the cladding portion 1004 (and optionally at least partially fused to the core portion 1002), a through hole 1017 is formed through the cladding portion 1004 and the added material 1029. The through hole 1017 can be formed via a machining process (such as drilling or milling), thereby forming a continuous machined surface of the through hole (e.g., a continuous machined surface defined along the cladding portion 1004, the fusion zone 1020, and the liner structure 1014).

[0370] Figure 10EIllustrates the housing component 1000 after the formation of the through - hole 1017. As shown and as described herein, the cladding portion 1004 defines a first portion 1015 of the through - hole 1017. The core portion 1002 defines a counterbore 1018 along the inner side of the housing component 1000. The lining structure 1014 is positioned in the counterbore 1018 and defines a second portion 1019 of the through - hole 1017. The lining structure 1014 can be formed of the same material as the cladding portion 1004 and can be fused to the cladding portion 1004 at a fusion region 1030 (which can be a remainder of the fusion region 1020), and the fusion region defines a third portion of the through - hole 1017. Thus, as shown, the hole surface of the through - hole 1017 can be a continuous hole surface that is partially defined by each of the cladding portion 1004, the fusion region 1020, and the lining structure 1014.

[0371] Figure 10F Illustrates an exemplary laser - based deposition operation in which material 1029 is ultimately deposited in the counterbore 1018 and fused to the cladding portion 1004. As shown, a filler material 1031 (which can be the same material as the cladding portion 1004 or another material that is substantially galvanically non - interacting with the material of the cladding portion 1004) can be introduced into the counterbore 1018, and a laser beam 1032 (e.g., an annular laser beam) can be directed into the counterbore 1018 such that the filler material 1031 is melted and deposited in the counterbore 1018. During this process, the laser beam 1032 causes the cladding portion 1004 to melt at least partially along its surface such that the melted filler material 1031 fuses to the melted surface of the cladding portion 1004 (e.g., at the interface between the filler material 1031 and the cladding portion 1004). The filler material 1031 can be introduced through the center of the annular laser beam into the laser beam. Using this process, the counterbore 1018 can be filled with melted filler material to form the deposited material 1029, as Figure 10D shown. The counterbore 1018 can be filled only with the filler material. After the melted filler material 1031 is deposited into the counterbore 1018, the melted filler material is allowed to re - solidify to form a solid material portion 1029 (as Figure 10D shown). Figure 10F Illustrates a laser - based deposition operation midway through the deposition operation, in which material 1033 (e.g., a portion of the material that ultimately forms the added material 1029 in Figure 10D ) has been deposited into the counterbore 1018 by melting the filler material 1031 with the laser beam 1032.

[0372] Figures 11A to 11B Illustrates another exemplary technique for filling a counterbore in a core portion to form a lining structure as shown and described herein. Figure 11AAn example of a cladding precursor 1100 including a cladding portion 1104 and a core portion 1102 is illustrated. A counterbore 1101 is formed through the core portion 1102 to the cladding portion 1104, thereby exposing a surface 1105 of the cladding portion 1104. In some cases, a hole 1107 may also be formed through the cladding portion 1104. An insert 1106 is positioned in the counterbore 1101 and on the exposed surface 1105 of the cladding portion 1104. The insert 1106 may be formed of the same material as the cladding portion 1104 (e.g., a titanium alloy). The insert 1106 may be welded to the cladding portion 1104. For example, the insert 1106 may be laser welded to the cladding portion 1104 (represented by a laser beam 1103). The welding process may result in a fusion zone 1109 ( Figure 11B ) at the surface 1105, where the insert 1106 fuses to the cladding portion 1104. As shown, the insert 1106 has a flange at the top of the insert 1106 (e.g., forming an inverted top hat shape as in Figure 11A ), but in other cases, the insert 1106 may have a cylindrical shape (e.g., without a flange), or any other suitable shape that facilitates filling the counterbore 1101.

[0373] Figure 11B An example of the cladding precursor 1100 is illustrated after the insert 1106 is welded to the cladding portion 1104 in the counterbore 1101 and after a through hole 1108 is formed through the insert 1106 (e.g., via machining as described herein) to form a lining structure 1111. Similar to the structure produced by the metal deposition techniques described with respect to Figures 10B to 10E , the techniques illustrated in Figures 11A to 11B produce a housing where a continuous machined surface is defined along the cladding portion 1104, the fusion zone 1109, and the lining structure 1111. In other words, the cladding portion 1104, the fusion zone 1109, and the lining structure 1111 each define a part of the through hole 1108 passing through the cladding precursor 1100 (which ultimately forms a housing component).

[0374] As described herein, a housing component of an electronic device housing can be used as a radiating structure of a wireless communication antenna system. In some cases, the radiating portion of the housing component may be affected by the presence of nearby conductive materials. For example, other metal structures near the radiating portion may interfere with (e.g., capacitively couple to) the radiating portion, which may affect antenna performance. Figures 12A to 12B An example housing and front cover assembly configuration for mitigating or reducing the effect of nearby conductive components on the radiating portion is illustrated.

[0375] Figure 12AIllustrates a front view of an example electronic device 1200, which may be an implementation of any of the electronic devices described herein or otherwise correspond to any of the electronic devices described herein. Device 1200 may include a housing 1202 (which may include a plurality of housing components coupled together as described herein) and a front cover assembly 1206 coupled to housing 1202. Front cover assembly 1206 may include a support frame 1208, which is part of a front cover of a display stack coupled to front cover assembly 1206. In some cases, support frame 1208 may be a metal structure that defines a flange and is at least partially encapsulated in a molded polymer frame that is coupled to and extends around the perimeter of the front cover. The molded polymer frame may provide structural rigidity to the front cover assembly and may define a mounting surface for adhering or otherwise coupling the front cover assembly to housing 1202. For example, the frame members may define an upper surface coupled to the front cover and a lower surface coupled to the housing. The upper surface may be coupled by directly adhering to the front cover (and mechanically engaging features of the display stack such as support frame 1208) with a molded polymer material, and the lower surface may be coupled to the housing via an adhesive (e.g., a thermosensitive adhesive, a pressure-sensitive adhesive, etc.). The molded polymer material may be formed using a low injection pressure overmolding process, where the front cover subassembly is positioned in a fixture that defines a mold cavity around support frame 1208, and a flowable material is introduced into the mold cavity. The flowable material is then cured or otherwise hardened to form the polymer frame.

[0376] In some cases, the proximity of support frame 1208 to the radiating portion of housing 1202 may have a negative impact on the performance of the radiating portion (or otherwise interfere with the radiating portion). Accordingly, support frame 1208 and housing 1202 may be configured with strategically positioned recesses, protrusions, thinning regions, and full-thickness regions that maintain a proper physical separation between the radiating portion and support frame 1208 while also maintaining the housing strength at certain locations.

[0377] For example, in some cases, the corners of housing 1202 function as radiating structures. Thus, for antenna performance, it is advantageous to increase the distance between these portions of housing 1202 and the corners of support frame 1208. However, the housing corners are also vulnerable to drop events or other impacts, and reducing the housing thickness at the corners may not be preferred in order to achieve the desired physical separation from support frame 1208. Thus, as Figure 12AAs shown, the support frame 1208 may define recessed regions 1210 (e.g., 1210-1 to 1210-4) adjacent to the corners of the outer housing 1202. The recessed regions 1210 may be recessed relative to the full-width (or wider) portion 1211 of the support frame. The recessed regions 1210 position the support frame 1208 at a target distance from the outer housing 1202 (e.g., Figure 12A the distance D1 in

[0378] ), while maintaining the full thickness of the outer housing 1202 in the corner regions. Figure 12A Additionally, in regions where the strength of the outer housing 1202 may be less critical or where less material may be used to provide sufficient strength (e.g., away from the corners), the outer housing 1202 may be thinned to define thinned regions 1214, while the support frame 1208 may have a greater flange width in these regions. Thus, adjacent portions of the support frame 1208 and the outer housing 1202 may be set at a target distance from each other (e.g., Figure 12A the distance D2 in

[0379] Figure 12B ). By using a combination of the recessed regions 1210 on the support frame 1208 and the thinned regions 1214 of the outer housing 1202, the distance between the support frame 1208 and the outer housing 1202 at different regions may be substantially the same (e.g., the distances D1 and D2 may be the same or substantially the same, such as within about 10%), while taking into account the different structural requirements of the device. Thus, for example, in cases where higher strength (or more outer housing material) is specified, the outer housing 1202 may have a full thickness and the support frame 1208 may have recessed regions, and in cases where lower strength (or less outer housing material) is specified, the outer housing 1202 may have thinned regions and the support frame 1208 may have a greater flange width. Combinations of complementary thinned outer housings and full-size support frames (and vice versa) may be positioned at various locations around the device, such as Figure 12A shown. Figure 12B illustrates a perspective view of a portion of the outer housing 1202 as viewed along line 12B-12B in Figure 12AAlso illustrated is a region 1204-1 having a first thickness (e.g., the full thickness or maximum thickness of the edge portion), and a second region 1214-1 having a second thickness less than the first thickness (e.g., a thinned region).

[0380] The devices described herein may include buttons incorporating multiple different sensing, press detection, and haptic feedback functionalities. For example, such buttons may include: a touch sensor that detects touch inputs along an outer surface (e.g., an input surface) of the button; a force sensor (e.g., a strain-based force sensor) that detects or determines the force of an input to the button; and a haptic switch that actuates when the button is pressed with a sufficient or threshold force. The haptic switch may also provide haptic feedback to indicate when the input has actuated the haptic switch. However, since the button is also associated with a force sensor, the button may be associated with other actuation points, thresholds, or conditions (e.g., "half-press") that may cause the device to perform certain actions different from those performed in response to the actuation of the haptic switch. To indicate that such an actuation point has been met or satisfied, the device may use an on-board haptic actuator (e.g., a device-wide haptic actuator such as Figure 2 , Figure 3 the haptic actuators 222, 322 therein, or a dedicated haptic actuator for one or more buttons) to generate a haptic output. Additionally, as described above, the button may include a touch sensor to detect touch (and optionally gesture) inputs to the button. Such touch inputs may cause the device to perform other actions different from those initiated by a half-press (or other partial press) and a full press (e.g., causing the actuation of the haptic switch). Additionally, the touch input may also be associated with the on-board haptic actuator or trigger a haptic output from the on-board haptic actuator. Thus, the button is capable of multiple different types of inputs to control multiple different types of device functions (or initiate device actions), and is also capable of delivering different haptic or tactile outputs in response to various inputs.

[0381] Figure 13A Illustrated is a partial cross-sectional view of a device 1300 having an input button system 1304 (also referred to herein simply as button 1304) as viewed along line 13A-13A in Figure 1A . The button 1304 may be an implementation of or otherwise correspond to button 121, 155, or any of the other buttons described herein (e.g., buttons 116, 118, 120, 152, 156, 157, 285, 385). As described herein, the button 1304 may include a touch-sensitive input surface for detecting touch and optionally gesture inputs, as well as both a force sensor and a haptic switch for detecting various types of force inputs.

[0382] As Figure 13AAs shown, button 1304 is positioned along one side of device 1300. For example, device 1300 may include a housing member 1302 that defines one side of device 1300, and button 1304 (and / or input structure 1305 of button 1304) is positioned within an opening 1307 defined by housing member 1302. In some cases, the input surface of input structure 1305 (e.g., the outer surface of input structure 1305 configured to receive user input including touch input, gesture input, force, or translational input, etc.) is substantially flush with (and optionally recessed relative to) the side outer surface of housing member 1302. In this way, accidental actuation of button 1304 can be reduced or avoided.

[0383] Input structure 1305 and more generally button 1304 can be configured to receive and detect various types of input. For example, button 1304 may include a touch sensor for detecting touch input (e.g., touch, tap, gesture, etc., as described herein) and a switch element configured to be actuated in response to a force that meets a specific force threshold. Button 1304 may also include a force sensing system that responds to force inputs that meet one or more force thresholds different from the switch element. Thus, button 1304 can respond to a first force input that meets a first force threshold (e.g., as detected by the force sensing system), a second force input that meets a second force threshold different from the first force threshold (e.g., corresponding to actuation of the switch element), and touch input (e.g., as detected by the touch sensing system). Additionally, in some cases, button 1304 (or more generally, the device) can respond to a combination or sequence of inputs. For example, after the switch element is actuated (or a different force threshold is met), the device can respond to a change in the force input. As a specific example, in response to an input that actuates the switch element, the device can initiate a video capture mode. After initiating the video capture mode and until the button is released, a change in the force applied to the button may change the zoom of the camera (e.g., a greater force can zoom the camera in, and a lower force can zoom the camera out). Once the button is fully released, the force-based zoom operation can be terminated, and subsequent presses of the button can initiate other operations (e.g., terminate video capture). More generally, the degree of force detected by the force sensing system can be related to the degree, magnitude, or other property of the action to be performed by the device. Thus, for example, pressing with a greater force can result in a faster scroll speed of a displayed list (in the case where the button input is used to control scroll functionality) or a faster rate of change of volume (in the case where the button input is used to control the output volume of the device).

[0384] The input structure 1305 may include a button member 1308 and a touch sensing element 1310 coupled to the button member. The cover 1306 may be positioned over the touch sensing element 1310 and may define an input surface of the input structure 1305. The button member 1308 may include a chassis portion 1317 and posts 1318-1, 1318-2 extending from the chassis portion. The first post 1318-1 may extend through a first through hole defined by the housing member 1302, and the second post 1318-2 may extend through a second through hole defined by the housing member 1302. At least one of these posts (e.g., post 1318-2) may be hollow or otherwise define a passage through which a flexible circuit element 1320 (or other conductive coupler) may extend. The flexible circuit element 1320 may operably couple the touch sensing element 1310 to a processing system (optionally via one or more additional flexible circuit elements or other conductive couplers). A sealing member 1324 (e.g., an O-ring) may be positioned around the post 1318 to form a seal between the post 1318 and the housing.

[0385] In some cases, the potting material 1322 at least partially fills the hollow post 1318-2 and encapsulates at least a portion of the flexible circuit element 1320 within the hollow post 1318-2. The potting material 1322 may also at least partially fill the volume defined between the cover 1306 and the button member 1308 and may at least partially encapsulate the touch sensing element 1310 (and / or other circuitry or components within the input structure 1305). The potting material 1322 may be an adhesive, an epoxy, or other polymeric material and may flow into the button member 1308 and then be allowed to cure or otherwise harden to encapsulate the flexible circuit element 1320.

[0386] The button 1304 also includes a beam structure 1312 that is at least partially located within the housing. The beam structure 1312 may be fixed to the housing member 1302 along an inner side or surface of the housing member 1302. For example, the beam structure 1312 may be fixed to the housing member 1302 via fasteners 1326 (e.g., screws). Figure 13A A first fastener 1326-1 and a second fastener 1326-2 are illustrated, and Figure 13B a third fastener 1326-3 is illustrated (which is not visible in the Figure 13A particular cross-section shown).

[0387] The beam structure 1312 or a portion thereof may be configured to be deflected due to a force input applied to the button member 1308. Button 1304 also includes a strain sensing element 1316 (or other deflection sensing element or system) coupled to the beam structure 1312. The strain sensing element 1316 may include one or more strain gauges (e.g., Wheatstone bridge) or other strain or deflection sensing elements that produce a signal that varies (e.g., continuously varies) based on the amount of deflection of the beam structure 1312. Other example strain or deflection sensing elements may include, but are not limited to, piezoresistive sensing elements, piezoelectric sensing elements, capacitive strain sensing elements, optical strain sensing elements, fiber Bragg grating strain sensing elements, magnetostrictive sensing elements, etc. Since the amount of deflection of the beam structure corresponds to the amount of force applied to the button member 1308, the signal from the strain sensing element 1316 can be used to determine the characteristics of the input force to the button 1304. In some cases, additional strain sensing elements may be positioned on the beam structure 1312 or on another deflectable structure of the button.

[0388] The beam structure 1312 may be formed of metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel, metal alloy, etc.) or another suitable material (e.g., polymer, reinforced polymer, etc.) that provides the target flexibility to facilitate strain sensing by the strain sensing element. In some cases, the beam structure 1312 may be formed via metal injection molding, machining, forging, or any other suitable process and / or combination of processes.

[0389] Device 1300 may use the strain sensing element 1316 (and associated processing system and / or circuitry) to determine whether an input applied to the button member 1308 meets one or more conditions. For example, device 1300 may determine whether the input meets a condition indicating a specific force or a specific deflection of the beam structure 1312 (e.g., a threshold deflection or threshold force). As another example, the device may determine whether the input meets a condition indicating that the button member 1308 has been depressed a specific distance (among one or more potential distances). As another example, the device may determine whether the input meets a duration condition (e.g., the input has been detected for at least a specific duration). The condition may be a single-factor condition (e.g., a force or deflection condition) or a multi-factor condition (e.g., a force and duration condition, such as detecting an input force within a threshold duration). In response to detecting that the input meets the condition, the device may perform an operation (e.g., change the audio output volume, switch between audible mode and mute mode, deactivate the screen, place the device in a "sleep" mode, etc.).

[0390] Button 1304 also includes a switch element 1327 (e.g., a dome switch) that is coupled to the beam structure 1312 and configured to collapse in response to a force input applied to the button member 1308 meeting a force threshold. Since button 1304 includes both the switch element 1327 and the strain sensing element 1316, button 1304 can respond to force inputs meeting multiple different thresholds. For example, button 1304 (and / or more generally device 1300) can respond to a first force input meeting a first force threshold (e.g., as detected by strain sensing element 1316) and a second force input meeting a second force threshold different from the first force threshold (e.g., as detected by the actuated switch element 1327). Additionally, device 1300 can perform different operations in response to detecting different force inputs. For example, the device can perform a first operation in response to determining, with strain sensing element 1316, that a force input meets the first force threshold, and can perform a different second operation in response to determining (e.g., based on actuation of switch element 1327) that the force input meets the second force threshold. As described herein, the device can perform different third operations in response to detecting a touch input with touch sensing element 1310, and can perform additional different operations in response to various types of touch inputs applied to the button member (e.g., gestures, multi-touch inputs, force inputs having two application locations (e.g., two fingers), etc.). As described herein, the device can perform additional different operations in response to force inputs originating from different locations on the input member.

[0391] More generally, device 1300 includes a processing system operably coupled to touch sensing element 1310, strain sensing element 1316, and switch element 1327. The processing system is configured to: determine the location of a force input on input structure 1305 based at least in part on a first signal from touch sensing element 1310; cause device 1300 to perform a first operation in response to detecting, based at least in part on a second signal from strain sensing element 1316, that a force input meets a first force threshold less than a second force threshold; and cause device 1300 to perform a second operation different from the first operation in response to detecting actuation of switch element 1327 (e.g., at a second force threshold greater than the first force threshold). The processing system can also cause device 1300 to perform a third operation different from the first and second operations in response to detecting a touch input on input structure 1305 (e.g., with touch sensing element 1310). The device can also distinguish different types of touch-based inputs. Thus, the device can perform one operation in response to a tap input and a different operation in response to a gesture input.

[0392] Returning to Figure 13A , button 1304 also includes an actuation structure 1328. Actuation structure 1328 is coupled to button member 1308. For example, and as relative to Figures 16A to 16CAs described, the actuation structure 1328 may be coupled to the post 1318 of the button member 1308. The actuation structure 1328 may be positioned above the switch element 1327 such that the switch element 1327 is located between the actuation structure 1328 and the beam structure 1312, such that the actuation structure 1328 applies an actuation force on the switch element 1327 in response to a force input applied to the button member 1308.

[0393] As described herein, the beam structure 1312 is configured to deflect, flex, or otherwise undergo strain when the button member 1308 is pushed, and the strain sensing element 1316 (along with associated processors and circuitry) is configured to detect the strain. Since the degree of strain experienced by the beam structure 1312 is proportional to or otherwise corresponds to the magnitude of the force applied to the button member 1308, a signal from the strain sensing element 1316 may correspond to the magnitude of the force. Thus, the device may perform different operations in response to different magnitudes of force input applied to the button 1304. In some cases, the beam structure 1312 may define a compliant section 1330 (see also Figure 13B ), which may be tuned to have a target stress-strain profile. In some cases, the beam structure 1312 defines a recessed region 1314, and the strain sensing element 1316 is coupled to the beam structure 1312 in the recessed region 1314. The recessed region 1314 may be configured to cause a particular stress-strain response of the beam structure 1312. For example, by reducing the thickness of the beam structure 1312 to define the recessed region 1314, the beam structure 1312 may experience a greater (or more uniform or otherwise more desirable) strain response. Additionally, the recessed region 1314 may have a different stress-strain response than other regions of the beam structure 1312 and may be more suitable for strain sensing. For example, the recessed region 1314 may experience greater strain or deflection than other regions of the beam structure 1312 (e.g., the region where the switch element 1327 is located). Thus, for example, a force input to the button member 1308 may cause a relatively large strain in the recessed region (which may improve the ability of the strain sensing element 1316 to accurately detect the input force), while causing a relatively small strain or deflection in the region where the switch element 1327 is located (which may improve the tactile response and / or establish the input force required to actuate the switch element 1327 on the button member 1308). Thus, the recessed region 1314 may at least partially decouple the strain sensing requirements from the switching requirements, since the beam structure 1312 may be tuned to provide different levels of compliance and / or deflection at different locations (e.g., providing greater compliance / deflection in response to a given force in one region to facilitate strain sensing, and providing less compliance / deflection in response to a given force in a different region to facilitate switch functionality).

[0394] Figure 13AAlso illustrated are example configurations of flexible circuit elements that operably couple various systems of button 1304 to a processing system and / or other circuitry. Button 1304 may include flexible circuit element 1320 operably coupled to touch sensing element 1310, and flexible circuit element 1336 operably coupled to strain sensing element 1316 and switch element 1327. Flexible circuit element 1320 and flexible circuit element 1336 may be operably coupled together and / or to one or more other flexible circuit elements to ultimately couple strain sensing element 1316, touch sensing element 1310, and switch element 1327 to the processing system. As Figure 13A shown, flexible circuit element 1320 extends into the device at a location otherwise covered by beam structure 1312. Thus, flexible circuit element 1320 may extend from hollow post 1318-2 and along the inner side or surface of housing member 1302. Housing member 1302 may define a recess 1340 along its inner side, and flexible circuit element 1320 may define a loop 1342 extending into recess 1340. Loop 1342 allows flexible circuit element 1320 to extend through opening 1344 formed by beam structure 1312 such that the flexible circuit element may mate with flexible circuit element 1336 (and / or another circuit element or connector) located outside of beam structure 1312. Thus, this configuration allows flexible circuit element 1320 to be operably coupled to other components within device 1300.

[0395] In some instances, housing 1338 may be positioned over flexible circuit elements 1320, 1336, and / or conductive connectors of the flexible circuit elements. Cover 1338 may be fixed at one end via fastener 1326-2 and at the other end by interlocking with an opening in beam structure 1312. [03...

Claims

1. A mobile phone, comprising: a housing; a display, at least a part of which is located within the housing; a front cover, which is coupled to the housing and positioned above the display; a rear cover, which is coupled to the housing and defines: a first part of the rear outer surface of the mobile phone; a protrusion, which defines a raised sensor array area, and the raised sensor array area defines a second part of the rear outer surface; a first hole defined through the protrusion in the raised sensor array area; a second hole defined through the protrusion in the raised sensor array area; and a third hole defined through the rear cover outside the raised sensor array area; a first camera lens assembly extending at least partially into the first hole; a second camera lens assembly extending at least partially into the second hole; and a flash module, at least a part of which is located within the housing and positioned outside the raised sensor array area, and the flash module extends at least partially into the third hole.

2. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein: the rear cover further defines a fourth hole, which is defined through the protrusion in the raised sensor array area; and the mobile phone further comprises a microphone module acoustically coupled to the fourth hole.

3. The mobile phone according to claim 2, wherein at least a part of the microphone module is positioned outside the raised sensor array area.

4. The mobile phone according to claim 3, further comprising a bracket, which is coupled to the rear cover and at least partially defines a sound waveguide configured to acoustically couple the microphone module to the fourth hole.

5. The mobile phone according to claim 4, wherein: the bracket comprises: a base; and a continuous wall extending from the base; and the continuous wall is placed against the rear cover to define the sound waveguide between the base and the rear cover.

6. The mobile phone according to claim 5, wherein: the fourth hole leads to the sound waveguide at a first end of the sound waveguide; the bracket further comprises a fifth hole at a second end of the sound waveguide opposite to the first end; and the fifth hole leads to the microphone module.

7. The mobile phone according to claim 4, wherein the flash module is coupled to the bracket.

8. The mobile phone according to claim 2, wherein: the first hole and the second hole are aligned along a first direction; and the third hole and the fourth hole are aligned along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

9. The mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the first hole and the second hole are aligned along a direction parallel to the lateral side of the mobile phone.

10. The mobile phone according to claim 9, wherein the third hole is equidistant from the first hole and from the second hole.

11. A portable electronic device, comprising: a housing; a front cover, which is coupled to the housing and defines the front outer surface of the portable electronic device; A display, the display being located below the front cover; A rear cover, the rear cover being coupled to the housing and defining: A first portion of the rear outer surface of the portable electronic device; A protrusion, the protrusion defining a raised sensor array area of the rear cover and a second portion of the rear outer surface of the portable electronic device; A microphone port, the microphone port being defined through the rear cover in the raised sensor array area; A first camera hole, the first camera hole being defined through the protrusion in the raised sensor array area; And A second camera hole, the second camera hole being defined through the protrusion in the raised sensor array area; A camera assembly, the camera assembly being at least partially located within the housing and including: A first lens assembly that at least partially extends into the first camera hole; and A second lens assembly that at least partially extends into the second camera hole; and A microphone module, the microphone module being coupled to the rear cover along the inner surface of the rear cover and acoustically coupled to the microphone port, at least a portion of the microphone module being positioned outside the raised sensor array area.

12. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The rear cover further defines a flash hole through the rear cover outside the raised sensor array area; and The portable electronic device further includes a flash module, the flash module being coupled to the rear cover and at least partially extending into the flash hole.

13. The portable electronic device according to claim 11, wherein: The camera assembly includes a camera housing, the camera housing defining a recess along a side of the camera housing; and The microphone module includes a cover that at least partially extends into the recess.

14. The portable electronic device according to claim 13, wherein: The portable electronic device further includes: A first camera, the first camera being associated with the first lens assembly; A processing element; and A flexible circuit element, the flexible circuit element operably coupling the first camera to the processing element and extending along the side of the camera housing, the flexible circuit element defining a notch aligned with the recess along the side of the camera housing; and The cover at least partially extends into the notch.

15. The portable electronic device according to claim 13, further including a bracket, the bracket being coupled to the rear cover and at least partially defining a sound waveguide configured to acoustically couple the microphone module to the microphone port.

16. The portable electronic device according to claim 15, wherein: The bracket includes a wall defining a channel; and The wall is disposed against the rear cover such that the sound waveguide is defined by the channel and the rear cover.

17. A mobile phone, including: A housing, the housing including: A housing, the housing defining: A top wall; A bottom wall opposite the top wall; A first side wall; and A second side wall opposite the first side wall; and A front cover that is coupled to the housing and defines a front outer surface of the mobile phone; A battery that is located within the housing; A rear camera assembly that is positioned between the battery and the top wall and includes a first lens assembly and a second lens assembly aligned along a first axis parallel to the first side wall; A circuit board assembly that includes a first section positioned between the battery and the top wall and a second section positioned between the battery and the second side wall; A processing element that is coupled to the circuit board assembly on the first section between the battery and the top wall; and A haptic actuator that is positioned between the battery and the second side wall, the haptic actuator including a mass configured to translate along a second axis parallel to the second side wall to generate a haptic output.

18. The mobile phone according to claim 17, further comprising a subscriber identity module (SIM) tray assembly coupled to the circuit board assembly on the second section of the circuit board assembly.

19. The mobile phone according to claim 18, wherein: The SIM tray assembly includes a SIM tray that defines a SIM card cavity; and A longitudinal axis of the SIM card cavity is parallel to the second side wall.

20. The mobile phone according to claim 17, further comprising: A first acoustic module located between the bottom wall and the battery; And A second acoustic module located between the bottom wall and the haptic actuator.

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