The iPhone 5S may be the next generation iPhone set to arrive from Apple but the iPhone 6 is perhaps the device that most consumers are looking forward to. This new handset is set to arrive in 2014 and is rumoured to include a completely new design along with a host of new features. Two new patents that have been filed by Apple give us an insight into the type of features that we may see this new handset include. Image may be NSFW.
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It looks as though Apple may be trying to include eye tracking technology on their next generation device, just as big rivals Samsung have recently done on some of their premium models. The Cupertino company have filed a patent named “Electronic Devices With Gaze Detection Capabilities” and it outlines the benefits of devices such as the iPhone 6 and the iPad to be able to track and detect the gaze of the user. “When the device detects that the user has looked away from the device, the device may dim a display screen and may perform other suitable actions” reads part of the new filing. This addition to the model would have obvious benefits when it comes to battery efficiency but Apple will be wary that Samsung’s similar technology has not been well received by many of their consumers.
A second patent that is sure to excite Apple fans much more relates to the screen on the phone. The filing suggest that not only will the display offer a slight curve but it will also be able to measure the pressure of the users input, adding an additional z axis to the devices touchscreen capabilities. This patent was discovered by Apple Insider and is named “Embedded Force Measurement”. Part of the abstract which accompanies the filing reads “force detection system that detects force exerted on a flexible display based upon changes in resistance and/or capacitance”. A good example of how this can be used in practice is the GarageBand application. Using the virtual keyboard on this app the phone would be able to detect the pressure exerted on the screen to determine how loud a note should be played.
These two latest patents give us a big clue about the direction Apple are hoping to take their technology in and we could see such features debut on the forthcoming iPhone 6 handset. The iPhone 6 is coming soon and the iPhone 5 is available now.
