The iPhone 8's screen might be way more than just a pretty glass panel
Brace yourself, because Apple might really kill the iconic home button with built-in Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 8.
A newly granted patent, discovered by AppleInsider, reveals Apple is at least exploring the idea of integrating the fingerprint sensor into the display, making Touch ID's existing "capacitive drive ring" around the home button (and the button itself) unnecessary for future iPhones.
The patent outlines the use of a new type of display technology that uses embedded micro LEDs and an IR diode to essentially scan and detect the position of a finger on the screen. LuxVue, a company Apple acquired in 2014 that specializes in low-power micro LED displays, is reportedly behind the technology.
A bitmap made up of light intensity data generated by "bouncing IR light off of a user's finger and back to sensing diodes" could then be used to authenticate the fingerprint.
In some ways, Apple's patent is very similar to Synaptics' FS9100 optical fingerprint sensing technology, which also is designed to move sensors to underneath the display and allow for fingerprint detection through up to 1mm of glass.
The patent illustration below shows how the IR diode could be used to "see" the position of a finger and potentially authenticate it:
Another patent illustration (below), shows how IR diodes embedded within the screen can be used to detect fingerprints.
As with all patents, the technology may or may not make it into new products. The patent, suggestive as it is, also isn an indicator of whether the technology is ready or not. And even if the concept is technically feasible, Apple only ever incorporates new technologies when it can produce them at volume.
The timing of the patent, however, is nothing if not coincidental as rumors suggest the iPhone 8 will sport an OLED display that stretches from edge-to-edge with minimal bezels. The latest research note from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claims the iPhone 8 will have a 5-inch screen that fits into a body with roughly the dimensions of the 4.7-inch iPhone 7. The only way for that to be true is for Apple to remove the home button which hogs up a good chunk of the bottom bezel.
Removing the home button (or as this patent suggests, relocating it and the Touch ID sensor within the display) could be another step closer to a monolithic iPhone without any buttons.
If Apple sticks to its early fall release cycle, we'll know for sure whether any of this stuff is true in about seven months.
Raymond Wong is Mashable's Senior Tech Correspondent. He reviews gadgets and tech toys and analyzes the tech industry. Raymond's also a bit of a camera geek, gamer, and fine chocolate lover. Before arriving at Mashable, he was the Deputy Editor of NBC Universal's tech publication DVICE. His writing has appeared on G4TV, BGR, Yahoo and Ubergizmo, to name a few. You can follow Raymond on Twitter @raywongy or Instagram @sourlemons.
