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    HomeIn MediaGadget NewsFuture iPhones Could Offer Depth-Sensing

    Future iPhones Could Offer Depth-Sensing

    The patent is a continuation of a few different patents that date back to 2012, so it’s clear that Apple has been thinking about this type of technology for a while. While the technology looks to be something that could be built into a Mac , it looks even more suited for iPhone.

    Future iPhones Could Offer Depth-Sensing

    Depth maps could prove helpful in a number of situations. Not only could they make for more immersive images on a phone, but they could also help in capturing virtual reality content, as well as immersive gaming. Along with the scanner and transmitter, the technology also uses a processor that helps generate the depth map using the information received.

    Apple isn’t the only company working on depth maps. Qualcomm has a Spectra camera module that can capture a massive 10,000 points of depth and was included on the new Snapdragon 845 processor. Facebook is also working with Red to build a super high-end 360-degree camera that will support things like depth-sensing and six degrees of freedom. There are also rumors that Apple plans to launch new augmented reality devices, or at least include more augmented reality tech in future iterations of the iPhone, so the ability to sense depth could prove very valuable to the company.

    Future iPhones Could Offer Depth-Sensing

    Of course, it’s also possible that Apple won’t end up using the new tech at all. Large tech companies like Apple routinely file for patents that they ultimately don’t use, and it’s possible that this particular depth-sensing technology could fall into that category. Apple, however, has already been experimenting with depth-sensing tech in Face ID on the iPhone X, and it is expected that this experimentation will continue.

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    David Novak
    David Novakhttps://www.gadgetgram.com
    For the last 20 years, David Novak has appeared in newspapers, magazines, radio, and TV around the world, reviewing the latest in consumer technology. His byline has appeared in Popular Science, PC Magazine, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Electronic House Magazine, GQ, Men’s Journal, National Geographic, Newsweek, Popular Mechanics, Forbes Technology, Readers Digest, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Glamour Magazine, T3 Technology Magazine, Stuff Magazine, Maxim Magazine, Wired Magazine, Laptop Magazine, Indianapolis Monthly, Indiana Business Journal, Better Homes and Garden, CNET, Engadget, InfoWorld, Information Week, Yahoo Technology and Mobile Magazine. He has also made radio appearances on the The Mark Levin Radio Show, The Laura Ingraham Talk Show, Bob & Tom Show, and the Paul Harvey RadioShow. He’s also made TV appearances on The Today Show and The CBS Morning Show. His nationally syndicated newspaper column called the GadgetGUY, appears in over 100 newspapers around the world each week, where Novak enjoys over 3 million in readership. David is also a contributing writer fro Men’s Journal, GQ, Popular Mechanics, T3 Magazine and Electronic House here in the U.S.

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