Apple’s latest patent confirms iPhone 8 will have a completely new design

Here’s another proof that Apple will be using OLED displays in its upcoming iPhones. The Cupertino-based technology company has reportedly been just granted a patent by US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for “Interactive display panel with IR diodes”. The patent further cements the wide speculations that iPhone 8 may ditch the circular touch ID sensor and that Apple may integrate fingerprint sensor right into the display. The patent talks about a LED screen with infrared light sensors ‘interwoven’ with RGB diodes. This means that the infrared sensors will be embedded on the display and will be able to read the fingerprints.
“Exemplary methods and systems use a micro light emitting diode (LED) in an active matrix display to emit light and a sensing IR diode to sense light. A display panel includes a display substrate having a display region, an array of subpixel circuits, and an array of selection devices. Each subpixel circuit includes a driving circuit to operate a corresponding infrared (IR) emitting LED in a light emission mode. Each selection device may be coupled to a corresponding sensing IR diode to operate the corresponding sensing IR diode in a light sensing mode,” says the abstract from the patent.
According to Apple Insider website, which has access to the patent, the upcoming iPhone model could have some dedicated pixel rows or a dedicated area on the display searching for a fingerprint sensor.
As per the report, the IP was reassigned to Apple last April from LuxVue, a small company that iPhone maker purchased in 2014 for an undisclosed sum. The company specialized in micro-LED displays and related technologies.
Late last month Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri in a resaerch note said that Apple’s 5.8-inch iPhone model may boasts of ‘wraparound’ screen design. the report cited sources in the supply chain. Arcuri also said that Apple may switch to Synaptec’s optical-based fingerprint reader for the new Touch ID sensor. According to him, as per a report in AppleInsider, it is “currently the only workable solution” for detecting a fingerprint through smartphone’s screen.