Apple is working on iPhones with touchless gesture control and curved screens, according to a new report.
The gesture control could mean users operate their phones by moving their finger or waving their hand close to the screen.
According to the source this technology could be ready in as little as two years time.
Apple is working on iPhones with touchless gesture control and curved screens, according to a new report. Pictured is an iPhone X
According to the report by Bloomberg, the feature will help Apple differentiate itself in an increasingly crowded market.
The iPhone X currently has a feature called 3D Touch that responds to different finger pressures.
This new feature appears to be an even more sophisticated version of that.
Citing people with knowledge of the matter, the report found that the new gesture technology would take into account the distance between someone’s finger and the screen.
The company is also developing displays that curve inward from top to bottom, unlike Samsung smartphones which curve down at the edges.
Up until now every iPhone model has had a flat display.
However, both features are still in the development stage and might not ever materialise.
The company is also developing displays that curve inward from top to bottom, unlike Samsung smartphones which curve down at the edges. Up until now every iPhone model has had a flat display (pictured, iPhone X)
MailOnline has contacted Apple for comment.
Last month, another report revealed future iPhones might have brighter, slimmer and more power efficient screens.
Experts at the firm are working on MicroLED displays to replace today’s top spec OLED screens, according to industry sources.
If successful, the technology would address the burn in issue common to OLED displays, which occurs if a static image is left on screen for too long.
WHAT ARE THE 2018 iPHONE RUMOURS SO FAR?
Apple has yet to unveil the iPhone 8, but the latest rumours of its 2018 smartphone have already hit the web.
In August rumours from the supply chain said the iPhone 9 will be available in two sizes, including one with a massive screen that would be Apple’s biggest yet.
The ‘Plus’ size will reportedly have a 6.46-inch screen and will be sold alongside a smaller 5.85-inch model in a bid to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Note.
The leak came from a source within Samsung Display, the sole OLED supplier for the upcoming iPhones.
The source also said the smaller version was originally going to be a 5.28-inch model but that the firm upped it to 5.85 inches because of growing consumer demand for bigger-screen phones.
In August rumours from the supply chain said the iPhone 9 will be available in two sizes, including one with a massive screen that would be Apple’s biggest yet (stock image, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus)
A recent Apple leak suggested the firm could cancel the iPhone X.
An analyst says the new model’s disappointing sales could lead to the phone being cancelled – with production stopping as soon as this summer.
This could be the first time Apple has cancelled a phone model since the iPhone 5C in 2014.
Experts believe the lack of interest in the phone is largely due to the notch, which many potential Chinese customers believe removes too much space on the screen.
Now, Ming-Chi Kuo from KGI Securities says Apple will release three new iPhone models including a slightly cheaper 6.1-inch phone without 3D touch.
It could also release an updated iPhone X with a 5.8-inch OLED screen and a larger 6.5-inch OLED model, potentially called the iPhone X Plus.
The 6.1-inch phone will feature an aluminium frame similar to the iPhone 8 and the display will be an LCD panel instead of OLED, he predicted.
The 6.5-inch iPhone X Plus will have similar specifications as the current design but an OLED display and 4GB of RAM, he predicts.
Apple is developing MicroLED screens at a secret plant in California, according to reports in Bloomberg.
The project is being overseen by Lynn Youngs, who is in charge of iPhone and Apple Watch screen technology, claim people familiar with the matter.
MicroLED is a new display technology that has grabbed the attention of several tech firms.
Screens using MicroLED are thinner, brighter, use less power and are more durable than the OLED displays, which are increasingly being adopted for a variety of smart devices.
The new technology is however unproven and difficult to use, analysts say.
‘It is not clear whether MicroLED will be better than the OLED displays Apple uses for its smartwatches,’ said Dongbu Securities analyst S.R. Kwon.
‘At this point, this seems to me that Apple wants to show off – its more of what look what we can do rather than a realistic alternative.
The company aims to use the new technology in its wearable computers first, the report said, adding that it is unlikely to reach an iPhone for at least three to five years.
Other tech companies looking at the technology include Taiwan’s Hon Hai Precision Industry, Apple’s main contract manufacturer.
It acquired US MicroLED display startup eLux last year through Sharp and other group units.
Sony started selling large display systems using the technology for corporate users last year, and Samsung unveiled a MicroLED TV this January.