Apple iPhones might soon lose the wide notch at the top of their display. This notch has become a mainstay of most iPhones in the recent years, including the newly released iPhone 11 lineup.
The wide notch at the top of the display of iPhones houses all the sensors required for the company's Face ID feature. However, it might soon be gone once Apple gets to update its design and find a way for users to identify themselves not through the Face ID securely. Engineers at Cupertino are said to be already hard at work in looking for a way to do this. They are reportedly working on more than one alternative.
At present, a new patent reportedly was published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office showing a glimpse of what one of these alternatives could be. This new patent was spotted by AppleInsider, which shows that the next generation of iPhones will no longer use eyes or fingers for opening or as an added security measure.
The new patent revealed that future Apple devices could be unlocked by the palms instead. This is a mean feat if ever. For this new technology to work one day, it will mean the iPhone devices at that time will already be able to detect veins within users' hands, uniquely structured like people's fingertips. Palm identification, of course, is nothing new in the larger scale of things. It has been utilized in certain areas for years, except for phones. But it cannot be denied that to apply the technology on phones suddenly is not that easy to do. Moreover, it is so much more secure than using fingerprints or even faces.
Fingerprints can be replicated quite easily. Even faces can be duplicated quite successfully with the use of certain resources. Faking the veins inside the person's hand can be quite impossible, making it the most secure way to unlock phones. If Apple manages to achieve that, then this will certainly be a big plus point. Moreover, what makes this new technology even more exciting is that Apple reportedly can apply in mobile devices as small as the Apple Watch.
Phone Arena explained that "the system requires a dot projector and infrared camera so the issue of having to tuck these under the display still remains." It's a complicated process that probably only a tech giant such as Apple can do at this point.
For years now, critics have questioned whether Apple can still be considered the standard when it comes to smartphone manufacturing. Rightfully so, taking into consideration how safe or boring their recent iPhone releases have been. However, if the Cupertino company successfully implements this new patent in the future, then maybe, it could once again gain back its "innovator" status.
