Apple patent shows more sensors integrated under the display, bezel-less iPhone inbound?

A while ago, we showed you a patent describing Apple's technology for embedding a fingerprint sensor and other touch-sensitive components below the device's display. Today, another patent has been unearthed, showing that Apple has the ability to fuse the ambient light sensor, and possibly other types of sensors directly with the screen. This means that no extra space around the display will be required for placing these sensors on the smartphone, letting Apple realize those rumored plans for an all-screen iPhone 8 coming in 2017.

Of course, an ambient light sensor's purpose is to automatically adjust the display's brightness according to the surrounding lighting conditions so that, for example, the screen is clearly visible under bright light or sufficiently dim while in the dark as to not strain your eyes. Literally all modern smartphones have one, and it usually lives on a bezel either above or below the display. Apple, however, is placing theirs under the screen itself, and claims the same technique can be applied for the proximity sensor as well.

However, there's a possible flaw with this design. The part of the display where the sensor is embedded might lose its touch functionality, but the screen real estate can be utilized to show non-interactive information such as time and battery life. Apple is clearly moving in an all-screen direction with these patents, and a bezel-less iPhone seems to be merely a question of time at this point.


source: USPTO via AppleInsider