The iPhone 12 could see a major upgrade in the form of Air Gesture Control, similar to that seen on the Google Pixel 4.

This potential upgrade was discovered by Patently Apple (via Forbes), who discovered a patent for a next-generation depth sensor that Apple could include in its flagship models.

While the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max's rear camera array will undoubtedly include a LiDAR depth sensor to help with photography effects, the patent offers something similar for the front camera array.

As the patent titled "Calibration of depth sensing using a sparse array of pulsed beams" points out, users of cell phones increasingly require 3D image sensors for use in common applications. To that end, the document details a system that projects and reads a grid of dots, much like how the IR portion of Face ID works.

By using a time-of-flight camera within the notch of the display, the iPhone can give high-quality bokeh effects to selfies, create 3D maps of objects, and make Face ID more secure. Of particular interest, however, is the idea of using aerial gestures.

Phones like the Pixel 4 and Huawei Mate 30 Pro offer air gestures, which are done by waving your hand in a specific way in front of the respective radar and IR sensors. Neither was particularly effective, and the gestures only applied to some functions and were not always reliable enough for normal use.

Apple has previously obtained patents similar to this one. For example, one detailing its own concept of how gesture recognition works, and another looking at adding this gesture support to the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

If this technology does make it to the iPhone, Apple will not be the first in the world. However, for Apple, which tends to take things slowly and get new features right the first time (in most cases), an iPhone with Air Gestures would theoretically work effectively and be a big buzz for competitors.

The iPhone 12, expected around September or October, is said to bring a number of changes to the iPhone formula, including 5G, new display sizes, and the aforementioned LiDAR sensor in two iPhone 12 Pro models. Air gestures, however, have not been rumored to date. Assuming that leakers and tipsters on the web have not missed any major clues to its existence, perhaps Air Gestures will instead be a feature seen in the 2021 iPhone 13.