Apple could bring Touch ID back to iPhone — but not in the way you’d expect

If you’re like me, then you probably wouldn’t be seen dead without keeping your phone in some kind of case . Whether you want basic protection, a fresh new look or something with a little more practical appeal, there’s no shortage of options out there — especially for iPhones. But a future wave of iPhone cases could be a heck of a lot more useful than the current selection.

Apple has filed a patent for a new kind of smart iPhone case that could add a bunch of extra features to your phone. Features like converting your regular buttons into capacitive buttons, a mysterious new sliding gesture and possibly even Touch ID. That’s right, Touch ID could eventually make a comeback on iPhones — but in a way none of us really predicted.

The patent description says that “upon detecting the presence of the case, can disable one or more buttons and perform actions corresponding to the buttons when signals are received from the case.” Presumably this would be a pretty simple process, utilizing an NFC chip inside the case itself. Similar to what Samsung does with Galaxy Z Flip 6’s Flipsuit case, with the phone detecting the different cards via NFC and changing the UI accordingly.

The added benefit of this is that NFC doesn't require any power, which means you’re not going to need to remember to recharge your phone case — or have it sap power from your phone battery during use.

The patent also claims to be able to reduce the air gap between the iPhone and its case, a problem that can “reduce tactility” during everyday use. So by having capacitive buttons built into the case itself, and sending electronic signals to the phone without actively pressing its buttons, Apple may be able to eliminate the air gap entirely.

Plus add some extra features, like the ability to detect sliding gestures, long presses and other kinds of input, or to authenticate fingerprints. Which would be a big win for those of us that wish Apple would bring Touch ID back to flagship iPhones . It’d be nice to see an iPad-style Touch ID power button, but so long as this smarter case isn’t a FineWoven-level disaster then it could be a good compromise.

Unfortunately Apple filing a patent doesn’t necessarily mean this is a product that will actually go on sale. And even if Apple plans to make these cases a reality, there’s no telling when it might happen. So don’t expect to see these cases make a debut alongside the iPhone 16 at Apple’s Glowtime event on September 9.

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