Apple’s next iPhone 12 is about to get a main camera update for the iPhone 11. Now we know a way to do it.
The information recently discovered through Patently Apple shows how Apple’s new generation of Time-Of-Flight (ToF) cameras can simply have Face ID functionality and allow “gestures in the air” on multiple devices, adding iPhones and onboard control systems.
All the main points of the new camera are provided in two new patent programs that describe how a grid of dots is projected into a scene, while reflections are captured through sensor equipment. The time elapsed between transmission and reception allows the device to calculate the exact distance at the point and then generate a three-dimensional map of the scene.
Place the new camera on the front of the phone that in the back allows it to be used for facial identity and “gestures in the air” while flat or installed in a vehicle.
In-air gestures allow contactless contact of a device by making hand or finger movements nearby. This is a concept that will be familiar to Google Pixel owners who won a disappointing radar edition of a similar feature on last year’s Pixel 4.
You can see some of Google’s plans for generation in the following video:
It turns out that Google has completely abandoned this feature in this year’s Pixel 5, but Apple’s new ToF paves the way for Apple to face the challenge and succeed where Google has failed.
I can’t wait to see where Apple’s going to be. At a time when physical touch wants to be minimized, contactless technology will become more important.
Follow @paul_monckton on Instagram
I have applied as a generation journalist since the early 1990s. My hobby is the ever-changing photography and hardware that we use to create it, to be
I have applied as a generation journalist since the early 1990s. My hobthrough is the ever-changing photography and hardware and software we use to create it, whether it’s classic cameras and Photoshop or smartphones and tablets with their multiple applications. I have also worked extensively on PC titles such as PC Magazine and Personal Computer World and controlled PCW hardware verification labs. This led me to review and read about all kinds of print and online technologies. I take care of written and photographic works and you can contact questions, recommendations or arguments via email. Find me on Instagram @paul_monckton.