14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has just received a number of patents that indicate the Cupertino-based company’s possible plan to build iPhones with bezel-free displays and fingerprint sensors embedded directly inside the screen, thus removing the need to place a physical home button on the front panel.
One patent application refers to an edge-to-edge display on future Apple smartphones and describes a device with a mostly flat screen, but curved sides that would allow for more symmetry and a smoother design on iPhones.
Apple states in the patent application that it intends to reduce the border area and thus maximize the display and the interactive touch areas on a smartphone. Moreover, Apple imagines a flexible material that could be used to create the display, as to allow for bending.
OLED displays have this capacity, as we’ve seen them on quite a few Samsung smartphones. In addition, Apple states another advantage for bending the sides of the panel, as they can allow for a narrower smartphone.
Apple imagines a way to embed the Touch ID directly into the display
The second patent that Apple was granted today refers to the Touch ID fingerprint sensor built into the screen of iPhones for quicker authentication. This would allow Apple to remove the physical home button from the front panel and thus maximize the display on new iPhones.
Earlier today, renders of iPhone 8 based on CAD drawings surfaced, revealing that Apple intends to feature a Touch ID embedded into the display of the iPhone 8. Rumors have long been suggesting this, but there’s always the chance of Apple going with another design, especially since some have said that the company may be facing issues with mass producing the technology.
It’s also worth mentioning that the renders didn’t clearly reveal an edge-to-edge display on the upcoming iPhone 8, although previous reports did suggest that Apple intends to go with an OLED 2.5D glass screen on the highly anticipated iPhone that should be announced later this year.