New Apple Patent Details Design Tweak For Next-Generation iPhones

A new patent that was granted to Apple this Tuesday sheds light on how Samsung’s biggest rival is working to accomplish a bezel-free design for the next-generation iPhone, internally dubbed as the iPhone 8.

According to the U.S. Patent No. 9,466,653 that was originally filed for on June 26, 2015, the electronic device that is being trademarked is one that has a display and a display-integrated light sensor. The display panel is said to be composed of a transparent cover layer, light-generating layers and a touch-sensitive layer.

To make the design tweak work, the display-integrated light sensor is going to be inserted between the transparent cover layer and the touch-sensitive layer. Another setup pertains to the light sensor being interposed between the transparent cover layer and a thin-film transistor layer that’s part of the light-generating layers.

AppleInsider says that with the design tweak, the “chin and forehead” bezels of the next-generation iPhone could be removed because the light sensor will be functioning from within the display itself. The Apple-centric website also claims that this advancement could ensure the presence of a true full-screen display on the upcoming devices.

Rumor has it that Apple is planning to ditch the bezels of its famous smartphone for its 10th year anniversary release. This redesign is said to make use of OLED display that would cover the entire face of the handset.

Since the front of the iPhone 8 is going to be primarily made of glass, it was previously rumored that the fingerprint scanner would be embedded into the screen. However, the rumor is now backed by a patent that was awarded to the Cupertino giant last week.

Late last month, an Apple employee revealed that the tech giant is working on its iPhone 7 successor in its Herzliya offices in Israel. The employee also shared at the time that the next-generation iPhone is being called internally as the "iPhone 8" and not the "iPhone 7s," which is the expected moniker if Apple’s iPhone nomenclature is to be followed.

Following the employee’s confirmation, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo shared his prediction for the 2017 iPhone lineup, saying that the new Apple handsets will sport glass casing up front and on the back with stainless steel surrounding the edges for a “reinforced structure design.”