According to 9to5 Mac reports, Apple has issued a patent for an iPhone case and dock that supports a near-field wireless communication system. According to Patently Apple, the accessory will significantly change the iPhone’s operation and user interface (UI).
For example, when put in a sports-focused case, the iPhone may automatically replace its graphical interface with a sports-focused interface. Another example shows that when an iPhone is placed on a speaker dock, it may change its UI through a set of audio playback controls.
Essentially, when the iPhone goes into one of these cases or docks, it changes its UI to focus on that accessory. The new graphical interface will be simpler than the standard iPhone interface.
The patent also contains illustrations showing the iPhone in a car dock (likely in an Apple Car), and Apple did publish a patent last week in which the car would use the iPhone for self-driving input. According to the patent, when you plug your iPhone in, CarPlay and Maps replace its standard UI.
The image below shows a camera case scene, which provides a camera-centric UI. The other is games, which has an extra game button.