iOS 9.3 brings a brand new feature called Night Shift. (Photo : YouTube/iUpdateOS)
Apple has recently filed a trademark for their "Night Shift" technology both in Hong Kong and the United States as they look to introduce the tech to all of their devices including CarPlay and others.
The technology itself is nothing new as there are other free third-party apps and software capable of dimming the lights or minimizing blue light in a device, but Apple wants to cover all their bases in case that other companies catch on the trend. Minimizing blue light exposure during the night has been proven to help people sleep easier and better as it also reduces eye strain.
Apple introduced their Night Shift feature in their iPad Pro in March this year. They are certainly not the first company to think of the idea but the trademark application will prevent other companies from using a similar tech in their devices in the future.
Night Shift from Apple uses the iPad Pro's clock and geolocation to determine whether to dim the lights depending on the time zones. The Cupertino-based tech giant's Hong Kong trademark application for Night Shift also indicates that the feature may soon be extended to their Macs and CarPlay products, Patently Apple has learned.
The trademark application was filed under International Classification 009. Apple's trademark filing in Hong Kong was made under the number 303823227.
There are also some other slight benefits in using the Night Shift mode in iOS 9.3. The darker light means that the battery could consume less power which would translate into a marginally better battery life.
What is interesting in the trademark application is that Apple intends to extend their Night Shift trademark coverage even to extinguishers and electronic notice boards, TechRadar reported. It could mean that they will most likely sue someone who makes a product or an app that would dim a device's screen during night time.
Users can simply reduce the brightness of their iPhones and iPads for a similar effect. There are also other apps for both the iOS and Android platforms that can perform what Night Shift does and for free.Apple's Night Shift trademark application does intrigue most people as they could go on to become a patent troll that the tech industry themselves hate. The Cupertino-based tech giant has not officially announced yet their plans for their application in the future.
