Apple explores two new screen technology solutions to shield your iPhone from prying eyes

Have you ever wished for a little more privacy when using your smartphone? Yes? Well, Apple seems to be working towards achieving this through innovative screen technology. Recent report from Apple Insider reveals two granted patents highlighting the tech giant’s efforts to improve iPhone screen privacy. Both options Apple is studying use a layer of privacy film on the screen and displays with adjustable viewing angles.

The first patent, “Privacy films for curved screens“, explores the possibility of adding a layer of privacy film to the screen. This film acts as a polarizing filter, allowing light to emit in only one direction. When viewed from the right place, users benefit from the full brightness and quality of the Retina screen.

Although similar film layers exist on the market and you can add one to your smartphone screen, they prove somewhat limited as visibility is limited to a single point. This can pose challenges not only to the viewers but also to the user of the device.

While anyone trying to view the screen from an angle will see a blurred or completely obscured image, this layer of film does not provide complete privacy, as anyone standing directly behind the user will still be able to see the screen.

Let’s move on to the second patent, “Screens with adjustable viewing angles“, Apple is taking a more subtle approach by offering changes to the viewing angle of the screen.

According to the patent, in private viewing mode, the control circuit applies a current to the electrodes, which makes the electrochromic material more opaque, thereby limiting the viewing angle of the screen. Essentially, this patent introduces a “electrically operated filter” inside the screen, allowing users to control the screen polarization.

Unlike the first approach with an external film layer, this second method integrates privacy features directly into the screen itself. The display, comprising a series of substrate layers, could include an additional layer of liquid crystals. This liquid crystal element can incorporate a color filter, allowing users to limit certain colored images to their eyes only.

These patents hint at Apple’s ongoing efforts to improve user privacy without compromising display quality. As technology continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how these innovations shape the future of smartphone displays.