Lasers. Infrared sensors. Parabolic mirror assemblies. These are the technologies that could allow iPhones of the future to project holograms from 3-D screens, according to a new Apple patent application .

Now, whether or not Apple will actually make such a device, no one knows. It’s perfectly common for the company to patent technologies that don’t make their way into finished products.

But what would a holographic iPhone display look like, we wondered. And that’s when we found this fantastic little concept video by Mike Ko, who has created animations for companies such as Google, Nike, Toyota, and NASCAR.





The short clip, called Diorama, simulates what it might look like if images left the iPhone screen and floated in the air. It’s cute on its own, but just imagine reaching in and moving those tiny cars around by hand–maybe even changing their tiny tires and honking their tiny horns, and unintentionally causing a tiny accident that makes you feel a tiny bit guilty for ruining the tiny lives of a tiny family.

The future is amazing.

[Hat tip: Techcrunch]