New patent could reveal how Apple might pull off a no-notch iPhone 14 Pro

Apple is rumored to ditch the notch within the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max in favor of a pill-shaped cutout and a spot for the selfie cam, and the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has revealed a patent software that appears to indicate how the corporate might do this, according to Patently Apple (via 9to5Mac).

The patent software covers a number of potential variants of a tool that mixes a digicam, an infrared mild emitter, and a “light folding element” that may redirect the IR mild. The software describes how a light-folded projector can be utilized to scale back the footprint of those elements, leaving extra show space on the cellphone.

The notch at present homes a lot of know-how, together with a selfie digicam, an infrared digicam, a depth sensor, and a dot projector, and Apple already shrunk the notch by 20 p.c with the iPhone 13 lineup final yr. But with this patent, Apple is saying that it might probably prepare a few of that tech in such a means that lets it lower the dimensions of the notch.

Here’s an excerpt of the outline across the patent claims in the event you’re curious (and we’ve included the appliance on the finish of this text in the event you’d wish to flip by way of it):

For occasion, as a result of the sunshine folding component can change the transmission course of the IR mild, the IR mild emitter could not essentially be restricted to a selected set up location. Instead, the IR mild emitter could also be positioned at a location with less-constrained house, and use the sunshine folding component to challenge the IR mild in a selected course. This can cut back the general dimension of the imaging and sensing elements, thus reducing dimension of a notch for holding the imaging and sensing part and growing the show space of the gadget.

That mentioned, the USPTO publishing this software isn’t a assure that the know-how will present up in an Apple gadget. But there have been a number of different indications that time towards a considerably redesigned notch space for the following Pro iPhones.

Perhaps one of the best proof is that Apple whisperer Mark Gurman has reported that Apple could be shifting to the pill-shaped cutout and gap punch selfie cam. And Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported on a no-notch Pro iPhone 14 simply days earlier than the iPhone 13 hit retailer cabinets. But some Twitter accounts identified for leaking cellphone data up to now have not too long ago shared some intriguing new photos which will present how the brand new notch space seems to be on precise telephones, as reported by MacRumors.

Twitter person “DuanRui,” who posted photos on Twitter of the iPhone 12 Mini title earlier than Apple publicly introduced it, tweeted photos of what seems to be the capsule cutout and selfie cam punch gap on an iPhone 14 Pro. Take these with a grain of salt — DuanRui says in his profile that the majority of his content material is reposted from Chinese social media, so it’s unclear precisely the place they’re from — however on the very least, the photographs give an concept of what the rumored new design might appear like.

And Ice Universe posted an image of what they described as an “iPhone 14 Pro dummy.” Note that the capsule on this picture seems to have a barely completely different design than the photographs DuanRui shared, as there are two clear holes in the course of the capsule.

Fortunately, we probably received’t have to attend an excessive amount of longer to see if Apple is definitely altering up the notch and, if that’s the case, what the outcomes may appear like. The firm is internet hosting its subsequent product occasion on September seventh, the place it’s broadly anticipated to announce the complete iPhone 14 lineup.