It’s seemingly going to be a battle on which device can control all your things first: the Galaxy Ring or the iPhone. Samsung recently filed for a similar patent which shows the Galaxy Ring being able to connect to different devices in order to control them, and now, Apple’s also been granted a patent in which the iPhone may become your ultimate home remote control.
According to a newly granted patent called “Controlling Electronic Devices Based On Wireless Ranging”, the Cupertino tech giant is playing with the idea of remotely controlling everything: from physical devices to even virtual ones.
Right now, the iPhone can control your TV or unlock your car, but Apple wants to push this further to the point of sci-fi: one device for everything, and it figures out for itself what exactly it is you want to do.
The patent doesn’t explicitly say iPhone, the device may even be an iPad or maybe an Apple Watch. The patent calls it just “a wireless communication device”. You’ll be waving the device at things, apparently. “Wingardium Leviosa”, anyone?
Illustration from the patent. | Image Credit – AppleInsider
The patent describes at length how such a thing may work (patents tend to focus on how it will work rather than what you’d want to do with it). For now, though, your iPhone won’t make things fly.
First step: the iPhone (or device) notices that you want to do something. Then it should be able to determine which device you’re thinking of controlling, which frankly seems super sci-fi. Of course, the device may use AI to figure this out, but with all the fancy promised Apple Intelligence features that are delayed, I can’t help but wonder how realistic this whole thing really is.
Like, imagine waving your iPhone in the air in the direction of devices – it should be somehow able to know if you want to change TV channels, boil a kettle, or start a game on your iPad. Maybe proximity will also play a factor in that crucial iPhone decision.
Once ensuring privacy and security are covered, your ‘intention’ is sent to the other device, which should activate whatever feature you’re interested in.
Also, the “wireless communication device” should be able to unlock whichever device you’re trying to control without you having to actually touch it.
Apple is going full sci-fi with this patent, but you should know that not everything patented ends up becoming a real thing in our lives. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Galaxy Ring patent indicates more down-to-earth type of features, like moving content between one display and another with a simple gesture of the Galaxy Ring wearer.
