The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple a new patent titled “Projected display shared workspaces” which details technology that would integrate small projectors in future iPhone and iPads. Obviously being granted a patent doesn’t necessarily mean that the technology will be introduced immediately, but it does offer a hint as to what technologies Apple might debut in the future. Having a projector onboard iOS devices will greatly increase their value particularly in workspaces, as users will be able to conduct entire presentations simply through their mobile device.
This patent also details that the device’s camera will able to detect gestures aimed at the presentation, this would allow users to control the entire presentation through gestures. The technology may also work with multiple displays, even allowing users to share images between multiple displays through gestures. Apple might introduce this technology in their laptops as well as desktops through an external mini projector. There’s no saying when iOS devices will start coming with such projectors built-in, but when they do, it will definitely be an added incentive to pick up devices.
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