A patent filed by Samsung revealed that the S Pen of the Galaxy Note 9 might come with breathalyzer and microphone capabilities, further expanding the uses of the stylus.
Samsung has not yet officially unveiled the Galaxy Note 8, but rumors for future devices, including the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9, are already trickling in, showing the rapid pace of development and changes in the smartphone industry.
Samsung Patent Hints At S Pen Breathalyzer, Microphone
The Samsung patent, ironically spotted by Patently Apple, was submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office in June 2016 but only officially published last month.
According to the patent, a future Samsung smartphone will have a built-in breathalyzer, which will be enabled through a so-called gas sensor that will extend from the bottom of the device, which will also double as a microphone.
The patent says that the breathalyzer function could be a part of a future stylus, a statement that reels in the feature within the Galaxy Note family. The technology could be seen as soon as next year on the Galaxy Note 9.
The future S Pen is viewed to be partially bendable, which will allow users to only take out a part of it from the Galaxy Note 9. The stylus can then be used as a breathalyzer to work together with software in the smartphone to analyze the alcohol contents of the user's breath. The S Pen could function as a microphone even while being used as a breathalyzer.
With a breathalyzer function, the Galaxy Note 9 could make the roads much safer, as owners of the smartphone can use the feature on themselves or others to check who is fit to be driving. Like with all patents, however, it is unclear if the technology will ever arrive on an actual product.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9, Galaxy S9 Rumors
Other rumors surrounding the Galaxy Note 9 include the introduction of an in-display fingerprint scanner on next year's Galaxy Note device, instead of Samsung rushing the development of the feature to be included in the Galaxy Note 8.
The Galaxy Note 9, along with the Galaxy S9, are also expected to feature the high-end audio technology of Harman, which Samsung acquired last year.
Meanwhile, for the Galaxy S9, which is expected to launch in the first half of 2018, rumors claim that it will have the same screen size as the Galaxy S8. A report also believes that the Galaxy S9 will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, possibly with a limited-time exclusivity on the processor.
