You can already do a lot with your iPhone, but you should be able to do a lot more with it if it’s up to an Apple patent. It will thus become your ultimate remote control/ magic wand.
You can already control quite a few devices with your iPhone, but there should be even more. To be precise: anything that has a Wi-Fi connection.
With this, Apple seems to be following Samsung’s example. That company previously filed a patent that should allow you to control all kinds of devices with the Samsung Galaxy Ring.
Apple wants to turn your iPhone into a magic wand
Your iPhone probably already controls a lot of devices. Think not only of your headphones, but also all the smart home devices via their own app or Apple’s Home app. If it’s up to Apple, that should all be simplified.
The new patent Apple has filed is called “Controlling Electronic Devices Based On Wireless Ranging.” This would theoretically allow you to control anything connected to the Internet. That includes physical devices, but even virtual ones.
(Image: AppleInsider)
So while the patent is not specifically about the iPhone, it could potentially work for your iPad or Apple Watch as well. In the image Apple sends along with the patent, however, it appears to be for a smartphone.
Apple also describes in the patent roughly how it should work. The iPhone, or any other Apple device, notices by itself that you want to do something. As a result, it should know exactly which device you want to control. It seems that this would require AI.
That Apple knows exactly which device you want to use could be because you point your iPhone at it, for example. If you point it at the television, it may know you want to change channels or turn the sound up or down.
Is it really going to happen?
Still, the question is whether it will really come to pass for your iPhone. Apple and other companies apply for many patents without fully using them. It may also be that a small part is applied somewhere.
Moreover, it is already possible to control certain devices with your iPhone, for example through the Home app. In addition, some apps support Siri, allowing you to control a gadget with your voice.
Apple has also come up with a way to make controlling your Smart Home with your iPhone even easier. You can read more about that below.
