Apple Could Bring Dual Bluetooth Audio Connections To Future iPhones

The new iPhone might make listening to songs with friends easier than having to split a pair of headphones.

The Apple iPhone 11 is just around the corner and leaks of the device are seeping in at a steady pace. After rumours about a triple rear camera setup on the iPhone 11 and 11 Max, the latest bit of information will appease not just potential buyers, but their significant others as well.

You can already connect one iPhone to several Bluetooth devices — a watch, a speaker, a car but you currently cannot send Bluetooth audio to two different audio devices—with this new functionality, two users could listen to tunes on one iPhone using two pairs of AirPods. Or you could have the phone send GPS directions to a car’s audio system, while transmitting audio to a pair of headphones at the same time—According to a report by Japanese blog Mac Otakara (via MacRumors), which cites sources from the Asian supply chain.

It might not be a must-have feature for most users, but others will surely want to take advantage of it. Connecting two pairs of AirPods simultaneously to the same iPhone might be useful in several scenarios. Similarly, some people may want to send audio to different devices in other instances, like connecting the phone both to your car system and a Bluetooth headset.

The feature isn’t new, as it’s already available on a range of Android smartphones from Samsung and Huawei that already ship with Bluetooth 5.0 support. Assuming the report is right, it’ll be interesting to see whether Apple will bring dual Bluetooth audio to older iPhones that already support Bluetooth 5.0 technology, including the iPhone 8, iPhone X, and iPhone XS.

What more is new?

Apple’s new Touch ID solution uses a pin-hole camera array. (Source: Patently Apple)

Some of us may be anticipating for the upcoming iPhones (or not) but a recent report from MacRumors revealed information that might encourage us to just wait for 2020 iPhones instead. One thing we’ve learned about the 2019 iPhones is that they will not be supporting 5G, but the newest leak unveiled another interesting information — the return of Touch ID. You’re probably thinking why is Apple taking a step back, except they’re not taking a step back. In fact, Apple is taking Touch ID to the next level.

There have been plenty of rumours about an in-screen fingerprint scanner on the next iPhone, dating back to the pre-Face ID days. But Apple’s latest patent all but confirms the company’s plans to bring back Touch ID in the future. Just maybe not all that soon—The alleged Touch ID in 2020 iPhones will be similar to the in-display fingerprint sensors that you’ve already seen on some Android phones. What makes it better than the rest is that it’s capable of creating a 3D map of your fingerprint—it will be filling the whole screen, that means you can unlock your phone no matter where you place your fingerprint on the display.

The Good news is that Apple likely wouldn’t be replacing Face ID anytime soon, but this new in-screen Touch ID could be used as a supplementary form of biometric identification to make your iPhone even more secure. The bad news is that it likely wouldn’t be ready to go into mass production until the 2020 cycle.