14 DAY TRIAL // Code strings found in iOS 4.3 betas indicate that Apple is planning to equip its next-generation iPad with a proximity sensor, likely enabling the tablet to automatically switch its screen on and off as the user picks it up, or lays it down to rest.
Touted as an Easter egg that accessory vendors might want to look into before they design their next batch of iPad 2 cases, the code strings in question indicate that Apple plans to implement the following functionality (based on the addition of a proximity sensor similar to that found on the company’s iPhone):
“Automatically lock and unlock your iPad when you close and open the iPad cover.”
The description, found in the files comprising the iOS General Settings, should indeed indicate that a proximity sensor is making its way into the next iPad release.
The addition of this new piece of hardware should open the door for even more functionality, including adjustment of screen brightness as the user holds the iPad up to read on it.
Combined with the existing ambient light sensor and a camera, the proximity sensor should make a lot of sense as a new addition in the iPad 2.
As noted above, the reference in question was found Apple’s iOS 4.3, currently undergoing internal testing by Apple’s vast developer community.
The beta, now at its second release, delivers a fair amount of changes from push notifications in Ping (Apple’s music-centric social network), to evidence of camera-equipped next-generation iPads, and a new folder titled “Media Stream.”
Various alerts and .plist files indicate that Apple plans to let iPhone users set up “Photo Streams” that friends could “subscribe” to, much like on Facebook.