Instead of using Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for communication between iPhones, Apple is considering using Li-Fi - which uses light to transmit data. Apple has used infrared (IR) transmitters/receivers in Macs, which could theoretically be used for any short-range data exchange. But in practical applications, it is often used for remote controls such as SiriRemote because infrared transmission is slow and devices must be accurately aligned with each other.

Recently, however, a similar idea using light has officially become an industry standard. Called Li-Fi, it uses light waves rather than radio frequencies to transmit data.

Now, Apple has received a patent titled "Optical Structures in Directional Free-Space Optical Communications Systems for Portable Electronic Devices," which is Li-Fi. Apple doesn't use the word once in the patent, but from the beginning, it proposes that the technology could solve problems with "traditional free-space optical communications systems."

Specifically, such systems "extraordinarily rely on the precise alignment of communications equipment." "As such, they cannot be integrated into portable electronic devices that may be moved or repositioned from time to time."

However, being able to use optical systems to transfer data between two devices means you can't use Wi-Fi, you can't use Bluetooth, and you can't use anything that might be intercepted. As long as the two devices are close and pointed at each other, the transmission is much more secure than over regular Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.

But in addition to security and solving the problem of devices having to be pointed directly at each other, Apple also wants speed. Infrared is not enough, but compared to traditional device-to-device data communication protocols (such as Wi-Fi, near field communication or Bluetooth), Li-Fi provides "higher data transfer rates (such as tens of gigabytes per second to even terabytes per second), higher data transmission privacy and higher data transmission security."

Although Apple only uses the word "phone" twice in the entire patent, we can deduce that this technology is designed for the iPhone and, in typical patent terms, tries to cover the broadest possible range of devices.

Although in this case the scope is much wider than usual. Apple said that in addition to mobile phones, tablets, laptops and desktops, the proposal can also be applied to air, sea, undersea or land vehicle control devices or network devices. In addition, it may also be applied to "clothing embedded devices, fashion accessory devices, home appliances or industrial appliances, media equipment, etc."

However, if Apple does implement the patent's technical recommendations, it's likely that it will use it as a more secure alternative to AirDrop.

This newly awarded patent is entirely attributed to OmidMomtahan.