In the near future, smartphones might just turn to ultrasound sensing technology to replace any and all physical buttons on one’s handset. The news arrives after an video on YouTube (by Gary Explains) turned the spotlight on certain technological developments in Ultrasense.

The new technology could potentially improve smartphone design and also be a step closer to the future with seamless handsets; something OEMs have been working on for years now. Unfortunately, ultrasonic technology has previously left a bad mark in the industry, looking at the in-display fingerprint scanner on Samsung’s Galaxy S10 series. However, Ultrasense aims to tackle another area altogether.

The company plans on making a simple switch that can be situated under any surface and be used similar to capacitive buttons (which are generally not compatible with most surfaces). Technically, the technology would work on glass, metals and even unconventional surfaces like leather and wood. This implies that soon smartphone manufacturers would not need to drill holes in the handset’s frame to make room for the volume rockers and power buttons.

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Furthermore, Ultrasense has claimed that its sensors can even detect the force of different levels. This would allow for unique drag-to-activate features alongside the conventional tap methods. Notably, the move to ultrasonic sensors will allow smartphone manufacturers to place additional emphasis on building durable, water and dustproof devices.

Another claim by Ultrasense points at the emerging 5G networking, which its sensors are apparently more responsive with. While Ultrasense can bring a wide array of features with the technology on smartphones, the company is also planning on including these sensors in various other IoT devices. It includes automobiles, home appliances and even enters the medical fields. Unfortunately, the company has yet to unveil this technology or its prototype, so safe to say it’s not arriving in any smartphone within 2020.

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(Via)

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New spy photos of Nokia’s upcoming android phone has surfaced online and although the images are blurry, it gives us a pretty important detail. The configuration of the navigation buttons.

The images show that Nokia is settling for capacitive buttons as we can see the back and recent apps buttons on the left and right respectively. But instead of the circular home button, there is a cut-out for what appears to be a physical home button which we presume will also double as a fingerprint scanner.

Other details we can make out from the images is the Nokia logo at the top right corner, a front-facing camera and a speaker grille.

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The unnamed Nokia phone is reported to have a 5.2-inch display but other configurations are unknown. Nokia is returning to the smartphone market with at least 3 phones next year. The known models are the Nokia C1, Nokia D1C, and Nokia Z2 Plus.

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