The iPhone’s design is regarded by some as the most simplest of them all but it appears that Apple thinks it can do more. A patent application discovered today shows that the company is tinkering with an idea that just might make the front of the iPhone even simpler. The patent is titled “Electronic Device with Camera Flash Structures” and proposes to hide the FaceTime camera under the speaker port mesh of the iPhone.
Right now the iPhone has a speaker up top and a camera and ambient light sensor are placed next to it. The iPhone has also never had a front facing flash but perhaps this implementation could change things. One might have to hold a black iPhone at a certain angle to see the light sensor and camera, both of they are evident on the white iPhone. Moving them someplace else would be a big change.
In the patent application Apple addresses this by proposing to place the camera under the front speaker grill mesh. The camera could be accompanied by a flash and they can do their work while essentially being invisible to the user. Apple even lists another use for the flash, saying that it could function as a “status indicator” which notifies user when they receive a message.
While the company does say that this improvement could find its way in future products it doesn’t confirm if it really will. Apple files countless patents each year and not every single invention makes the final cut. One thing is for sure though, it certainly won’t be implemented in the iPhone 6.