(ThyBlackMan.com) iPhone features consistently remained the main reasons why the iPhone is Apple’s top-selling product. Even when a large section of media portrays Android devices as the best, Apple is still way ahead than its competitors. Apple is really good at bringing new ideas and smartphone features to market, and here’s what could be next.
- e-Passports
Apple has solved many real-world problems, and it has also replaced a bunch of items that we had to carry everywhere. For example, portable music players, city maps, credit cards, tickets and a lot more. Now the company is trying to turn your iPhones into an identity proof. Patent details found on the US Patent and Trademark Office’s website suggests that Apple wants to turn its devices into secure storage for documents. By using an RFID chip, the company wants to store your identity cards such as driver’s license, passport, etc so that you won’t have to carry them.
- Dual Bluetooth Connectivity
Future iPhones could support dual Bluetooth connectivity, which means you can play music on multiple paired devices. The feature will be helpful if you want to share audio with more than one device. You’ll be able to share audio with people who wish to listen to the same song or watch a video together with earphones on. Samsung already has this feature in some smartphones.
- Textured Back Glass
Apple has filed a patent application which suggests the Cupertino giant is planning to add a textured glass back on its devices, possibly in future iPhones. Seemingly Apple wants to achieve two main goals by replacing the existing glass back with the textured one. First, the company wants to improve the appearance of the glass back to make iPhones look more stylish. Second, it wants to improve the grip so that users can hold the phone without worrying about accidental drops. If that happens, iPhone users would not have to use phone cases.
- Foldable Display
Apple’s foldable iPhone dream is still alive, at least in patents. Samsung has already tried this idea with the Galaxy Fold, and despite having a bad start, the company is still working on this new technology. Apple will likely follow suit and introduce a foldable, all-screen iPhone in the near future. The patent shows the use of flexible materials on the hinge and hard glass on the display panel. We are yet to hear an official confirmation from Apple, so we don’t know whether this design will be used in future iPhones or Apple will keep it limited to its iPad product line.
- Full-Screen Touch ID
Apple is rumored to bring the Touch ID back. It was a feature Apple replaced with Face ID which makes the new iPhones almost impossible to hack. As previously predicted, the 3D Touch will be completely removed from iPhones and Apple will focus more on Haptic Touch. Apple is said to be using acoustic fingerprint technology which will make room for the full-screen Touch ID.
- MicroLED Display
Sooner or later, Apple will certainly use OLED display for all of its iPhones. At present, the company uses OLED display panels only on its high-end devices. To keep the cost low for its budget-friendly phones, Apple currently uses LCD on its iPhone XR. According to a report by a Chinese publication, Foxconn is trying to win orders for MicroLED display from Apple. The company has significantly increased investment in this technology. If Apple starts using MicroLED, we can expect brighter, thinner and more energy efficient OLED display panels in future iPhones.
- Apple’s Own Modem Chip
Many tech enthusiasts thought Apple will join the 5G race this year and will soon introduce its own 5G modem chip. There’s a possibility that the company would want to do this, but it won’t happen anytime soon. Apple needs at least five years to build its own modem chip. This doesn’t necessarily mean iPhone lovers will have to wait that long to experience 5G speed on Apple devices. Since Apple has started relying more on its homegrown chips than other manufacturers, we expect to see Apple’s own modem chip in iPhones not before 2025.
- Triple Camera
Rumors that Apple would launch an iPhone with a triple-camera system have been circulating for a long time now. Leaked iPhone 11 case design and renders show an iPhone design with a square cutout for a triple rear camera. If that happens, we expect to see this triple camera only on the top-end iPhone. However, the other iPhones will still have the same cutout to make room for two lenses and camera flash.
- Power sharing
The Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus can charge other Qi-based devices when you put them on the phone’s back. This feature is called PowerShare. Apple has been experimenting a lot in the charging area for its iPhones. The much-awaited AirPower mat has been canceled, and there is a possibility that a similar power-sharing solution could be added to future iPhones. If that happens, you will be able to charge your Apple Watch, AirPods, and other compatible devices with the help of your iPhone.
- Apple’s software getting stronger
Apple will make a lot of changes in its hardware in the coming years. The company will likely move from third-party vendors to its own manufacturing units for iPhone components. We might see Apple introducing a foldable iPhone, 5G modem chip, and a lot more, but Apple’s software is also going to become better as the company is focusing more on services these days. Apple will connect the iPhone to a large number of products inside and outside of its ecosystem.
Staff Writer; Corey Shaw
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