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Apple Seeks Patent For Wireless Handheld: Page 2 of 2

What this likely means is that the next generation iPod, and probably the Apple phone, will be much more resistant to damage if dropped, in addition to being cheaper to manufacture.

"[T]here is a need for improved enclosures for portable computing devices," the filing explains. "Particularly, enclosures that are more cost effective, smaller, lighter, stronger, and aesthetically more pleasing than current enclosure designs."

You heard it here first: expensive, large, heavy, fragile, ugly devices are out.