2017 iPhone model said to come with eye recognition system

Sep 7, 2016 10:36 GMT  ·  By

Apple is expected to take the wraps off a new iPhone model later today, and while this is an exciting moment for both the company and its users, there are signs that Cupertino is planning an even bigger overhaul of the device in the coming years.

People with knowledge of the matter have previously hinted that the 2017 iPhone could be one of the most important makeovers of the device since its launch and could include not only a completely new glass-made design but also features that have never been part of Apple’s lineup.

Eye recognition sensors, which are already available on smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 and Microsoft Lumia 950 XL, could make their debut on the 2017 iPhone, according to rumors. And some recently granted Apple trademarks seem to confirm that Cupertino is at least considering this feature for a future iPhone model.

CultOfMac writes that Apple has recently filed a full batch of trademarks that include, among others, a so-called “Iris Engine,” which most likely refers to the eye recognition tech that could debut on a future iPhone model. Details aren’t obviously available, but the Iris Engine could help increase the security offered by iPhones, as Apple is currently looking beyond the traditional passcode and the fingerprint sensors to build a device that’s virtually impossible to break in.

Hacker-proof iPhone

Apple’s efforts to build a hacker-proof iPhone took shape after the FBI government tried to force the company to break into the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino shooters in December 2015. Apple refused to comply, but the FBI managed to hack the iPhone anyway with help from a third-party who used an unpatched iOS vulnerability to access data stored on the device.

Apple is now looking into ways to create an iPhone that would be harder or even impossible to break into, and iris scanning seems to be the first security systems that the company is considering.

Other technologies mentioned in Apple’s patents are AirPod Case, Touch Bar, Progress Card, iBooks Storytime, Swift Lab, Control Strip, and Home Hub.

While patents don’t necessarily mean that these technologies would also be brought into production, they could include hints regarding devices and features that parent companies could release at some point. And in the case of Apple, this new report aligns with previous rumors that a bigger iPhone overhaul is on its way.