Are you ready for an iPhone that has a wraparound display, face-recognizing sensors, optically-transparent glass, and no physical buttons at all? Well, after Apple has been granted these patents just recently, seeing them in the future is a big possibility.
Reports say that the company might use a flexible AMOLED display together with an optically-transparent glass to form the new iPhone design. This curved form factor (aside from looking like a dessert packaging from Jollibee) now allows one more app icon to squeeze in, resulting to a total of five icons as opposed to the original four in each row.
Physical buttons may no longer make its appearance in the new design. The patent indicates that the embedded volume control (406 on the image) could be seen anytime and could be adjusted by first holding a finger on it. Once held, the volume control ‘drops down’ and expands to the entire left side of the device — kind of similar to iOS’ video scrubbing feature on video playback.
A physical Hold button popularly seen in iPods for locking and unlocking the screen may also be translated to a multi-touch gesture along the sides.
The patent also notes that the new design may use multiple cameras to capture the user’s face and use an integrated facial-recognition software to determine where his field of vision is; thus making the iPhone adjust its visual presentations to be perceived by the user effectively.
It doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing these any time soon. According to TechRadar it could even be as far as iPhone 9 or so that these new features will be available, but no one really knows for certain. For now let’s just be happy for Apple that their 2011-filed patents are now a go.
So magkakaroon na ng Apple Pie Phone (insert number here) soon?
Parang Apple Pie lang ng McDo.
This article is poorly researched and terribly written. First off, it is only granted 1 patent and not combination of “wraparound display, face-recognizing sensors, optically-transparent glass”.
The title itself is very misleading. The patent grant is for “ELECTRONIC DEVICE WITH WRAP AROUND DISPLAY” not curved display, virtual buttons or etc (who the hell etc. in the title). I’m pretty sure that wraparound display is categorically different from curved display.
This is just bad.
Oh, technoradar’s straplines are actually puns. So don’t go and write “According to TechRadar it could even be as far as iPhone 9” just because it’s strapline says “Maybe for the iPhone 9 or so”, it’s meant to be taken lightly. -_-‘
Samsung has already launched concept phones and Galaxy fit which has these screens. I wonder if they filed a patent too.
Apple’s really stifling innovation for other brands. Grabbing patents for product features they won’t be integrating in years. AND will sue anyone who infringes on their patent rights.
Boo Apple.
boo apple! make your own. duhh
WOW!
Curved screen perfected!