Apple has always been at the forefront of innovation when it comes to smartphone design, and the latest patent granted by the company could revolutionize the way we use Face ID. The initial implementation of Face ID in the iPhone was the famous notch, which occupied the central area of the status bar at the top of the device. However, with the iPhone 14 Pro models, Apple switched to two cutouts in the display itself, disguised as a single pill-shaped cutout. The company's long-term goal has been to achieve a "single slab of glass" design, where the display takes up the entire front of the iPhone, which requires finding new ways to hide the under-screen components such as Face ID modules and front-facing cameras.
The new patent describes what appears to be an evolution of the Dynamic Island approach, a technology that Apple has been working on for some time now. The patent language describes a huge range of sensors that could be embedded into the display, including Touch ID, air gesture sensors, pressure sensors, accelerometers, magnetic sensors, gyroscopes, inertial measurement units, optical sensors, gaze tracking sensors, and more. The patent also describes a way to make these sensors invisible to the naked eye by distributing them in a way that allows neighboring pixels to be selectively turned off to increase light transmission.
Apple says that a typical display used by its devices has 13 layers, and that light transmission through these areas is reduced by up to 80%. In order to overcome this challenge, the company might need to reduce the number of layers in areas containing sensors. The new patent describes a method of distributing these areas in a way that would render them invisible to the naked eye, without interfering with performance, and in a way that allows neighboring pixels to be selectively switched off to increase light transmission.
In conclusion, the recent patent granted by Apple for under-screen Face ID technology could bring about a revolution in smartphone design. The company's long-term goal of achieving a "single slab of glass" design is closer to being achieved, as the new patent describes a way to hide sensors in a display in a way that is both efficient and effective. The new patent could result in a more seamless and aesthetically pleasing design, while still retaining the functionalities that we have come to expect from our smartphones.