Remember when Apple was proud of the fact that the iPhone is the only smartphone, which is convenient to operate with one hand? This was the main argument of the company against the increasing display of the gadget. Eventually Apple gave in and released the 4.7 – and 5.5-inch models of the iPhone, but they, unfortunately, are not easy to use with one hand.
The solution to the ergonomics of the giant iPhone is Reachability a double tap of the Home button that lowers the screen contents down. The discovery was quite original, but a little applicable in practice. So the Apple is ripe another idea.
New patent of “Apple” Corporation describes technology that allows the iPhone to determine which hand the user is holding the device and depending on it to adapt the interface of the operating system. Elements of the OS will be transferred to the display area, which is situated next to the thumb, which will make the device more comfortable.
How the iPhone will be able to determine the user’s hand? The patent notes that the smartphone will continuously analyze the information from various device sensors, including accelerometer and gyroscope. The phone will also record which finger was used the gesture “slide-to-unlock”. Incidentally, this is not true for the iOS operating system 10, which rasplachivaetsya by pressing the Home button.
In addition, to determine in which hand the user took the phone to register the touch on the display and the housing. Previously, Apple received a similar Apple patent for a Pencil with a new generation of spaced along the body sensors that allow to fix the position of the fingers and to distinguish between various control gestures.
In the future Apple may release an iPhone with a display that wrapped around the body. The device probably will support 3D Touch not only on the front but on the rear panel. And in this case the iPhone will be able to easily identify which hand the user is holding the phone.
As is always the case with Apple’s patents, the company does not indicate the timing of introduction of development into commercial products. But I would hope that the implementation of technology will not keep itself waiting long.
