Specifically, Apple's filing focuses on the reduction of complexity, cost savings, and streamlined interface such display actuators would provide. The company notes that display actuators could reduce the cost of devices as well as their size, while maximizing the area available for visual output.
"Although the user interface arrangements described above work particularly well, improved user interface devices, particularly ones that can reduce the amount of real estate required and/or ones that can reduce or eliminate input devices, are desired," Apple wrote in its filing.
"By reducing or eliminating the input devices, the display of the electronic device can be maximized within the user interface portion of the electronic device, or alternatively the electronic device can be minimized to the size of the display."
Read more:
http://www.macnn.com/articles/06/08/16/apples.display.actuator/#ixzz1v8ybGwvW