Apple has just been granted a patent that looks to avoid smashed iPhone screens by flipping your handset mid-air.
The zany innovation means your iPhone would work out how it’s going to land after being dropped, and re-adjust to minimise the damage.
It would use pre-existing sensors built into the device like the accelerometer and magnetometer, which would give the phone a good idea of how it’s about to hit the floor.
Once that’s been clocked, a dedicated processor would then decide what the best course of action.
Should your phone be a dead cert to hit the ground face-down, a motor inside the phone would then act to readjust the phone’s mass distribution and – hopefully – flip it into a less compromising position.
The vibration motor inside the phone could already provide this function, although its output would need to be cranked up to have any real effect on free-fall motion.
It’s not a bad move – around 31 per cent of Blighty’s denizens are estimated to have suffered broken smartphone screens, with 17 per cent of crackers still using devices despite the damage.
Should your phone break before Apple manages to implement its wacky phone-flipping tech, you’ll be glad to hear US firm iCracked is now plying its trade on British soil.
The screen-repair team promises to repair phone screens with same- or next-day availability, with a typical fix taking around 15 to 30 minutes.
Read More: Apple iPad Air 2 review
Via: USPTO, Apple Insider
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
