Apple may replace slide-to-unlock with an image guessing unlock screen

Today Apple published its latest patent application with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Association, according to Patently Apple. The patent details a new method of unlocking the company’s devices. Until now, Apple’s unlocking swipe has been simple and effective, but not the most secure. Of course, a short password can be added for extra protection, but those can be easy to get around if a thief or hacker is motivated enough. This new method would tap into the user’s photos and ask for identifying information in order for the user to move forward. For example, an image of your friend might pop up, and you would have to correctly indicate that person’s name. Just identifying a single image, however, can be extremely easy for just about anyone to do so, for those wanted added security, an option to require a series of photos is also mentioned. Sure, this may seem like an overly complicated way to access one’s device, but it’s important to remember that this is not intended just for handheld devices, but potentially for any Apple computing device, like a laptop, which is perhaps more likely to contain sensitive information than one’s phone. Still, we can’t help but wonder: why introduce this method now when, just a few months ago, Apple published a patent application that revealed a biometric means of unlocking one’s device? (Users would need to scan their fingerprints in order to gain access to their phone, tablet, or Mac.) Given the choice between the two, we give props to the creativity of the photo unlock, but the biometric scan seems like it would be the more secure, less complicated means of keeping prying eyes away from our devices. What’s happened: The first iPhone 17 launch date leak has landed, and it points towards Tuesday 9 September as the day for Apple’s next iPhone event. Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 release date is said to be September 19 (the day you’ll actually be able to get your hands on the new phone) – so there might not be long to wait at all. The dates have been shared by German site iphone-ticker.de, which claims to have “internal information from German mobile phone providers” (translated). What’s happened: Images have hit the web claiming to show the super-slim battery which Apple will apparently slide into the rumored iPhone 17 Air. It comes as no surprise as the iPhone Air is tipped to be the thinnest iPhone ever, so the battery cell would need to be svelte to keep the dimensions down. The images of the supposed battery were posted by South Korean tipster yeux1122, and show it alongside another, thicker battery cell which the leaker says is from the iPhone 17 Pro. What’s happened: As Google builds up to the Pixel 10 launch on August 20, the company has posted a cheeky 30 second video on YouTube which playfully throws shade on the delayed AI enhanced Siri features which were first announced at WWDC 2024 and meant to land on iPhones in April 2025. The voice over begins by saying “if you buy a new phone because of a feature that’s coming soon, but, it’s been coming soon for a full year, you could change your definition of soon” – a direct jab at Apple.