The next generation of Apple Inc.’s iPhone will have lasers — literally, at least according to a newly published report.

Bloomberg, quoting people familiar with the plan, wrote that Apple is designing a rear-facing 3-D sensor system for its next-generation iPhone due to be released in 2019. According to the report, the 3D sensor will employ lasers to improve the company’s augmented reality apps and services through a “time-of-flight” approach. It calculates the time it takes for a laser to bounce off surrounding objects to create a three-dimensional picture of the environment.

Apple’s current flagship iPhone X model, by comparison, uses a TrueDepth sensor system that projects a pattern of 30,000 laser dots onto a user’s face and measures the distortion to generate an accurate 3-D image for authentication. However, as SiliconANGLE reported yesterday, it’s also allegedly easy to spoof with a $150 rubber mask.

Apple is reportedly looking for suppliers for the 3D-sensing system. Among the potential manufacturers are Infineon Technologies AG, Sony Corp., STMicroelectronics NV and Panasonic Corp.

The news comes only one day after KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed that the 2018 range of iPhone’s will have three models consisting of a next-generation iPhone X along with a 6.5-inch iPhone with an organic light-emitting diode or OLED display, as well as a more budget-friendly 6.1-inch model that uses a last-generation liquid-crystal display.

Meanwhile, Apple may be facing legal issues from use of some technologies. A report by Reuters said today that the U.S. International Trade Commission is investigating the company Steve Jobs built for patent infringement on various devices. Details on exactly what Apple is accused of stealing remain scant at the time of writing, but two companies, Aqua Connect Inc. and Strategic Technology Partners, are named as the complainants.

According to their websites, Aqua Connect is a maker of Mac remote desktop services, while Strategic Technology Partners is a small-businesses solutions and service provider specializing in helping government agencies modernize their information technology platforms.

Photo: National Cancer Institute/Wikimedia Commons