Apple Developing Curved iPhone Display, Touchless Control Technology

A new report claims Apple is currently working on curved screens and a touchless control technology for its upcoming iPhones. The company is said to be working on these new projects in hopes of making its smartphones stand out in a sea of competition.

People familiar with Apple’s plans told Bloomberg Technology Wednesday that the Cupertino giant is developing curved iPhone displays and a new type of technology that would make it possible for users to control an iPhone with touchless gestures.

The curved screens that Apple is working on are not similar to the ones that the company’s South Korean rival, Samsung, has been using for its Galaxy-branded handsets. A source has shared that the new iPhone displays curve inward gradually from top to bottom. On the contrary, Samsung’s smartphone displays curve down at the edges.

If Apple were to succeed in developing curved screens for its iPhone series, consumers can expect to see future releases rocking this type of display. Thus far, all of Apple’s iPhones sport flat displays. The only one that has a slight curvature is the iPhone X. The 10th anniversary iPhone’s OLED display curves slightly at the bottom though it isn’t that visible to the human eye.

The information about Apple’s new endeavor to come up with curved displays also seemingly confirms previous rumors that the tech giant will not only continue using OLED for its next-generation iPhones, but also increase the adoption of OLED screens this year. After all, OLED displays are more flexible than LCD screens.

There have been recent reports saying Apple’s working on a new type of screen technology, called MicroLED. However, it’s highly likely that the company’s work on MicroLED is still in the early stages and it would take years before it is completed. Hence, tech sources strongly believe that the curved screens that Apple is making are still OLED screens and not MicroLED.

Aside from curved screens, Apple is also said to be working on a touchless gesture control technology for its iOS smartphones. One source told Bloomberg Technology that the unique technology would let users perform some tasks on their iPhone without really touching its display. It’s like hovering a finger over the display to control it. It isn’t clear yet why Apple is developing this technology at this point, but the source said that it would take at least two years to complete.

It’s worth noting that Samsung came up with a similar technology several years ago. Samsung’s version, called Air Gestures, basically allowed users to accept calls and flip through web pages by just waving their hand across the phone’s top area where a motion sensor was situated. Apple’s implementation does not require a motion sensor though. Instead, the touchless controls will be built directly into the display.

An Apple spokesperson has declined to comment on the leaked information regarding Apple’s two new projects.