Apple has filed several advanced patents and tried to improve the features of its devices over the past few years in one way or another. Now, a recent patent coming from the Cupertino giant suggests it's working on developing invisible input areas for the Apple Watch, iPhones, Apple Pencil and MacBooks to get rid of physical buttons, which is something we hear is Apple's motive after all. Check out the details below.
Apple saves patents: Apple to replace physical buttons with "invisible" input areas on its devices
The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) recently disclosed an Apple patent titled "Concealable Input Region for an Electronic Device" that describes a micro-perforation technique for developing input regions on various Apple devices. These input areas, according to the patent, will be invisible to the naked eye and will blend seamlessly with the corresponding device's design. However, if needed, these areas can become virtual buttons or message graphics.
The patent mentions that Apple could use a series of touch-enabled micro-perforations on a device's exterior to develop the hideable input areas. In its concept drawings, the company showed how it could use the technology to replace physical buttons on its devices with such "invisible" interactive regions. You can check out some of the examples in the attached images below.
Apple says this technology will work with glass, ceramic and plastic. It could eliminate the need for "large buttons, keys or other mechanically operated structures" like the crown on the Apple Watch or the power button on the iPhone models. On the Apple Pencil, the technology can be used to place a flat input region in an easily accessible location without the need for a protruding physical button.
