Apple and Samsung are working together on a new project called the “Spatial iPhone.” They’re saying it could have a holographic display by 2030. The technology, called MH1 (or H1), uses a special layer in the AMOLED panel that makes it look like 3D objects are “floating” above the screen, and you don’t need glasses to see them. Thanks to the Zero Clarity Loss system, the display will maintain full 4K resolution in normal mode, activating the holographic effect only for special content. It’ll use some pretty cool tech like eye-tracking and algorithms that let you “look behind objects” when you tilt the phone.
In the next few years, iPhones might get new screens—holographic panels made by Samsung that can make a 3D image. MacRumors is the one reporting this.
There’s been some chatter in the supply chain and among insiders about a device with the code name “Spatial iPhone.” The idea is a new type of screen that can create a sense of depth and 3D objects without the need for glasses or a headset.
The gist of the tech is that the image looks 3D and changes how it appears based on the angle you’re looking at it from. Put simply, the screen will make it look like objects go beyond the display, and you’ll be able to see them from different angles.
Preliminary data shows that the screen will support 4K resolution for standard 2D tasks, and the new holographic depth effect will be activated as needed. This is called the “Zero Clarity Loss” principle, and it’s an attempt to avoid the image quality degradation you get with older 3D screens that use lenticular grids.
The project is still in the early stages of research and development. We’re looking at a 2030 deadline for these technologies to be introduced into smartphones.
As MacRumors points out, Apple has been interested in holographic and glasses-free 3D screens for almost 20 years. Back in 2008, Apple filed a patent for an autostereoscopic display system with user position tracking. And in 2014, the first rumors popped up about the development of a 3D display for the iPhone.