According to Patently Apple, the tech giant recently filed for a patent that could lead to the return of Touch ID on the iPhone later this year. Why take a technological step back with the Face ID that already unlocks millions of iPhone units every day? Well, first of all, there are many people who are getting tired of Apple’s facial recognition. Frankly, it often takes several attempts to unlock your iPhone 11 Pro Max. And the other day, when I had the opportunity to use my Pixel 2 XL, the rear fingerprint sensor just got faster and easier to use. Not that we expect Apple to copy Google and discard Face ID completely (Hello Pixel 5, we are looking for you).
Based on the patent application, there is a possibility that Apple will equip the next series of iPhone 13 or later models with Face and Touch ID. Users can have the option to switch between one of the two options at a time. The trademark application filed by Apple focuses on “a fingerprint detection device with a narrow field of view (NFV) collimator and an organic image generator. The device includes a touchscreen layer, a layer collimator and a pixelated image sensor “. A collimator produces a narrow beam of rays and with a touch screen layer, it is clear that a sub-screen system is in the works here.
Apple has already tried to find a new placement for Touch ID. Like iPad Air (2020), the tablet’s fingerprint reader has been integrated into the device’s power button. And while we could see this year’s new iPhone series offering this feature, Apple is also planning to add a fingerprint reader under the display to the Apple Watch.
How the Apple fingerprint sensor under display can work under a new patent application
A report from ETNews (via MSPoweruser) details a possible new health-related feature that would appear on the Apple Watch Series 7 and the next Samsung Galaxy Watch. For some time, we said that Apple is working on a non-invasive glucometer for the Apple Watch. This is the device that insulin-dependent diabetics use before each meal to check their blood sugar so they can find the proper dose of insulin they need. The procedure requires diabetics to draw some blood by poking the fingertip with a sharp needle-shaped lancet. But it looks like the next generation of smartwatches from Apple and Samsung will make life a little less painful for diabetics.
Quantum Operation non-invasive glucometer presented at CES this year
Samsung will launch three new smartwatches in the second half of 2021 and the model that will offer blood glucose readings will be called Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 or Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 3. The Apple Watch Series 7 will reportedly offer the same feature. The watches will use a technology called Raman spectroscopy. Using a laser light, this technology is able to determine the composition of a substance, such as the amount of glucose in a person’s blood. There are also other applications for this technology that go beyond diabetics.
But even limiting this ability to monitor blood glucose levels can result in a high demand for new smartwatches from Apple and Samsung equipped with the ability to produce painless blood glucose readings. In the US alone, there are 25 million diabetics dependent on insulin, according to the World Health Organization (WHO); that number is increasing thanks to the poor diet and lack of exercise that most Americans experience.
If Apple and Samsung offer this feature in their new smartwatches, there is no room for error. A reading that is wrong, even for a small amount, can result in the user taking too much or too little insulin. With the latter, the diabetic’s blood sugar remains very high and can affect things like the user’s vision. If too much insulin is injected, the diabetic may suffer from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and pass out.
