Apple could be working on something pretty incredible for a future iPhone, maybe event the iPhone 14, if a new patent is illustrative of the company’s current thinking.
As uncovered by Patently Apple, when combined with “Privacy Eyewear”, your iPhone could block anyone from seeing what’s on your screen, other than you. With the iPhone maker working on Apple Glasses, it’s exciting to think that Apple could be making this kind of magical privacy a reality.
- Best iPhone: iPhone models compared and rated
- The best iPhone 13 deals UK from Apple, EE, Three, Vodafone, Sky, O2 and more
- PLUS: Watch out for WhatsApp's deceptive 'friend in need' scam
“In some embodiments, a user may interact with the calibration graphic to intentionally blur the graphical output presented on the display of the device (iPhone),” writes Patently Apple, explaining the feature. “If a user desires privacy or doesn't want a nearby person to view what is presented on the display, the user may interact with the calibration graphic to make the graphical output illegible.”
Provided Apple Glasses actually look the part — or become sufficiently popular to become fashionable, like AirPods — this is a far cleaner way of keeping privacy than I can ever remember seeing. And this would put me at the front of the queue to renounce Android and adopt iOS instead.
Being able to read messages and emails in public, without worrying about prying eyes really is a killer feature for me. Past implementations that I can recall have been innovative, but ultimately messy.
Take the BlackBerry Key 2, for example. There was a feature called Privacy Shade which would turn your whole screen black, aside from a small circle that you could move around with the finger, ensuring that you could quickly scan emails without being spied on.
But this had the knock-on effect of making your phone that bit less comfortable to use. Apple’s solution could — theoretically — be absolutely seamless.
Upgrade to smarter living
Get the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products straight to your inbox.
The “could” is important, though. Like many companies, Apple patents a lot of ideas that never find their way into a commercially available product, and that may well be the case here too. If it does arrive in an iPhone, we’re probably not looking until the iPhone 15 at the earliest, as the first iteration of Apple Glasses aren’t expected until at least 2023.
-
Aston Martin DB12 Goldfinger Edition contains real gold, but no ejector seat
Forget The Man with The Golden Gun, this is the car with the golden gearstick
By Alistair Charlton Published
-
Motorola's next Razr foldable could come with a neat new tech idea
Or perhaps we should say a future Razr...
By Britta O'Boyle Published
-
Android phone prices could soon soar for just one reason
Price of the brick goin' up
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Leaked Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra case shows a shift back to the mundane
Samsung's next flagship might not be quite so unique.
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Is this the foldable phone that has Samsung most worried?
Another folding phone has just launched, this time with Loewe design
By Chris Hall Published
-
When is the iPhone 16 coming out? Could Apple's on-sale date be a surprise?
The iPhone 16 has already bucked trends once
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra concept renders show a potential iPhone beater
Samsung might be cooking up a beauty
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
Huawei is set to shake up the foldable phone market sooner than we thought – tri-fold handset imminent
Huawei's plan is unfolding soon
By Max Freeman-Mills Published
-
OnePlus Nord 4 review: heavy on the metal, light on the price
Buying on a budget? The metal-bodied OnePlus Nord 4 is a very smart choice indeed
By Basil Kronfli Published
-
Key Samsung Galaxy S25 features revealed by Samsung itself
Samsung is building the hype as rivals are set to unveil their own flagships
By Max Freeman-Mills Published