Apple might have some big plans for the future of iPhones, and it’s not just about foldables. The last major overhaul we witnessed was with the iPhone X in 2017. That’s when Apple introduced a notch design that quickly became an industry standard. It wasn’t for long, and Apple experimented with Dynamic Island in the iPhone 14 Pro series, which is now available in base variants like the iPhone 15 as well.
Nevertheless, even that doesn’t eliminate the notch, as space is practically reserved at the top of the screen to house sensors. However, there’s good news about a potential development in the future. The patent filed today, March 7, by Apple hints at a possible notchless iPhone in the future.
Currently, the front camera lens is housed within the TrueDepth system, hidden inside the notch at the top of iPhones. Per the patent, Apple wants to integrate flood and spot illumination into a single, compact projection module, ultimately paving the way for a notchless iPhone in the future.
The Road For Notchless iPhone Is Far From Smooth
Delving more into the details shared in the patent filing about how Apple plans to accomplish this, it might mix two lights into one tiny space. For reference, the floodlight in the sensor spreads out to light up everything evenly. Meanwhile, the other spot illumination light focuses on making little spots of light.
The patent talks about an “optoelectronic apparatus”, which has a base with a surface for light and two groups of light-makers. The flood emitters spread light widely, while the spot emitters make focused spots of light. Then, this surface changes these light beams to make wide and even light or focused spots, depending on what’s needed.
If Apple can make this work, it could change how iPhones look, meaning we might see a foldable iPhone in the future. No more notch at the top of the screen might mean more space for the screen itself. That means iPhones could have screens that go all the way to the edges.
It’s unclear when we might see Apple release notchless iPhones. Previous reports from sources like tipster Ice Universe and analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have hinted at similar developments. Additionally, these reports suggested that Apple may partner with display manufacturing giants like Samsung and LG for this project.