✔️ 2022-08-25 23:26:42 – Paris/France.
Apple is rumored to be ditching the notch in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max in favor of a pill-shaped cutout and a selfie camera slot, and the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO ) has published a patent application that appears to show how the company could do this, according to Apple obviously (Going through 9to5Mac).
The patent application covers several possible variations of a device that combines a camera, an infrared light emitter, and a "light bending element" that can redirect infrared light. The app describes how a slightly bent projector can be used to reduce the bulk of these components, leaving more screen real estate on the phone.
The notch currently houses a parcel of technology, including a selfie camera, infrared camera, depth sensor and dot projector, and Apple already cut the notch by 20% with the iPhone 13 lineup last year. But with this patent, Apple says it can organize some of this technology in a way that allows it to reduce the size of the notch.
Here's an excerpt from the description of the patent claims if you're curious (and we've included the claim at the end of this article if you'd like to skim through it):
For example, since the light bending member can change the transmission direction of infrared light, the infrared light emitter may not necessarily be limited to a specific installation location. Instead, the infrared light emitter can be placed at a location with less constrained space, and use the light bender to project infrared light in a specific direction. This can reduce the overall size of the imaging and sensing components, thereby decreasing the size of a notch to hold the imaging and sensing component and increase the display area of the device.
That said, the USPTO publishing this application is not a guarantee that the technology will appear in an Apple device. But there have been a few other indications that point to a significantly redesigned notch area for the upcoming iPhone Pros.
Perhaps the best evidence is that Apple whisperer Mark Gurman reported that Apple will switch to the pill-shaped cut-out and punch-hole selfie camera. And Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported a notchless iPhone 14 Pro just days before the iPhone 13 hits stores. But some Twitter accounts known to have leaked information about the phones in the past have recently shared intriguing new images that may show what the new notch area looks like on actual phones, as reported. MacRumors.
Twitter user "DuanRui", who posted images to Twitter of the iPhone 12 Mini's name before Apple publicly announced it, tweeted photos of what appears to be the pill cutout and the selfie camera punch hole on an iPhone 14 Pro. Take them with a grain of salt – DuanRui says in his profile that most of his content is reposted from Chinese social media, so it's unclear exactly where they came from – but at the very least, the images give an idea of what the new rumored design might look like.
And Ice Universe posted an image of what they described as a "dummy iPhone 14 Pro". Note that the pill in this photo appears to have a slightly different design than the images shared by DuanRui, as there are two clear holes in the middle of the pill.
Thankfully, we probably won't have to wait too long to see if Apple actually scales up, and if so, what the results might look like. The company is holding its next product event on September 7, where it is expected to announce the entire iPhone 14 lineup.
SOURCE: Reviews News
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