Proximity sensor on Apple's iPad 2 could bring auto screen lock, unlock
The mention of a proximity sensor was discovered in the iOS 4.3 beta this week by blogdoiphone.com. The developer build of the forthcoming operating system update includes two new strings entitled "PAD_CASE_LOCK" and "PAD_CASE_LOCK_FOOTER."
The new additions to the software are part of the Settings application on the iPad, which would allow users to enable or disable the feature. It describes placing a cover over the iPad screen to automatically lock the device, rather than pressing the power/lock button on the top right. Users could also unlock the device without
"Automatically lock and unlock your iPad when you close and open the iPad cover," the setting reads.
The current iPad includes an ambient light sensor, but not a proximity sensor. The potential addition of the proximity sensor would allow the screen to automatically turn off, and the device to become locked, much like the iPhone does when the handset is placed against a user's ear during a call.
If implemented, the change could help Apple remove buttons from the iPad, something a recent rumor suggested the company is looking to do. Currently, the iPad must be unlocked by pressing the home button and then activating the device through the "slide to unlock" gesture.
The first beta of iOS 4.3 enabled new multi-touch gestures that further negate the need for the home button, allowing users to quickly switch between applications or return to the home screen by making quick four- or five-finger gestures on the touch display.
The mention of the auto-lock and unlock feature via a proximity sensor would require the use of a case with the iPad to cover its screen. Currently, the iPad does not ship with a case, though Apple sells its own first-party case designed for the iPad, which includes a flap to cover the 9.7-inch display.
40 Comments
I don't think Apple is looking to remove the buttons right now: they're just making things easier/faster/convenient. This convention makes a lot of sense.
Is it any coincidence this "feature" appears in AI right after the article of the Playboy announcement?
I hope it will still turn the display on and off for those that lock their device.
I don't think Apple is looking to remove the buttons right now: they're just making things easier/faster/convenient. This convention makes a lot of sense.
There is no way they’ll remove the buttons. Desktop OSes have had alternative ways to do the same task. Often these are faster but they aren’t as intuitive to use as other options. I think this holds for iDevices.
New evidence suggests Apple's forthcoming second-generation iPad will include a proximity sensor, which would automatically lock and unlock the touchscreen device when a cover, attached to a case, is placed over or removed from the display. ...
On the face of it, this sounds completely ridiculous.
Doing this would completely circumvent the "security" of the swipe to open feature. The swipe to open "feature" is something that people have been asking for the ability to remove since the first day of the first iPhone. Apple has steadfastly resisted all efforts and protestations to do so on the basis of "security." This is also the number one thing standing in the way of having an integrated home screen which has also been asked for since day one.
I just don't see Apple screwing people over about this for four solid years and then just casually introducing a feature that completely goes around it.
I agree they aren't going to remove any existing buttons any time soon.
Also, how would this work if your hand/finger covers the proximity sensor? Would that immediately lock your iPad? I love the idea that closing my iPad case would lock the device for me. I'm just not sure how they could do it with a proximity sensor without your hand/finger also setting it off while you're using it.