Apple's R&D team has been hard at work it seems as the iPhone maker just landed a haul of patents today — two of which may turn out supremely relevant to this year's iPhone 8.
Fifty-six different patents were granted to Apple today from a variety of filing dates, with some of the more eye-catching ones including an edge-to-edge display and a method for implementing biometric features like Touch ID on a touchscreen surface, according to Patently Apple.
These two patents in particular stand out due to growing rumors that at least one iteration of Apple's next iPhone is expected to ditch as much bezel as possible and incorporate the Touch ID fingerprint scanner into the handset's display.
As with most patents, Apple having the tech is not yet confirmation of the iPhone 8's design. That said, this isn't the first patent we've seen from Apple to suggest it's planning to jettison its phone bezels.
Additionally, the MacBook Pro's signature Touch Bar shows Apple can already incorporate biometrics into a touchscreen, and some analysts predict the next iPhone will adopt something similar.
As for when we might see more concrete details from Apple, the tech giant's WWDC 2017 conference next month may shed some light, though it's more than likely Apple stays mum on the new iPhone until later this year.
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