Apple is developing simultaneous streaming technology, perhaps as a future Apple TV feature, that could customize playback of a video clip based on viewer needs or preferences.
The display of a future Apple Watch, iPhone, or any Apple screen, may be able to contain a camera and camera flash which are externally visible only when needed.
Future Apple devices may make more use of the screen for providing a larger Touch ID under the display, plus improve Wi-Fi and cellular reception through embedding a bigger antenna too.
Apple is continuing to develop non-traditional display technology that can fold out and expand along hinge articulation points, likely for a future foldable iPhone.
Apple's Photos app may improve on its Faces subject identification feature by not just using facial recognition, but also working to identify people's individual body language, typical poses, and torso.
If it can't reduce the need for a bezel to house sensors and circuitry for iPhone and Mac displays, Apple is investigating how it can make them look much smaller.
An Apple VR or AR headset may be able to automatically adjust the lenses placed in front of the user's eyes by using fluids to deform the shape of the lens to improve the user's eyesight.
A future "Apple Car" is likely to include sensors to allow it to be self-driving, and some of those sensors need a window or notch to allow them to work through the plastic or fiberglass of a vehicle body.
Instead of the periodic or on-demand measurement of heart rate that the Apple Watch can currently do, future devices may provide constant monitoring.
The Apple Car could have an intelligent window tinting system that uses liquid crystal technology to block sunlight and other people from looking inside the vehicle, one that could automatically engage to provide a level of privacy.
Future Apple displays, including technology in the "Apple Glass," could take currently wasted light energy and produce crisper screens, while also saving power and battery life.
A MagSafe-equipped smart case could enable an iPhone to run at a faster speed without harming the user, Apple believes, by allowing the iPhone to run at higher temperatures whenever it detects the presence of a case.
Apple is continuing to research a smart ring device that could be an accessory to or work in conjunction with a head-mounted display such as Apple Glass or a VR headset.
The Federal Circuit granted a petition from Apple to spring a Uniloc patent infringement lawsuit from a Texas court to one in California.
Future MacBook Pro designs may leverage HomePod technology to sense the wearer's environment and adjust playback to enhance audio.
Apple could add Touch ID back to the iPhone without reintroducing the physical Home button, by taking advantage of infrared light and through-display imaging techniques to avoid ruining the edge-to-edge screen design.
Apple hardware may offer faster 5G speeds in the future, by using mmWave signals to determine if nearby objects are blocking the path of transmissions, enabling it to switch to a different antenna configuration.
With a combination of radar, and the LiDAR now present in the iPad Pro and iPhone 12 Pro, "Apple Glass" could sense the environment around the wearer when the light is too low for them to see clearly.
Apple is investigating how to make AirPods respond to gestures, have more touch sensitive areas, and even feature physical buttons or scroll wheels.
The Apple Car could have an intelligent active suspension system, one that includes a way to store and maintain a level of pressure in a hydraulic system to enhance the ride of the car for drivers and passengers.
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Mike Peterson
William Gallagher
Malcolm Owen
