Apple continues to dream of an Apple Watch capable of taking photos. Like Meta, the firm has imagined a connected watch whose case with integrated camera is easily detached from the bracelet.
Our colleagues from Patently Apple have discovered a new patent filed by Apple with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The patent describes an Apple Watch equipped with a camera.
This is far from the first time that patents indicate that Apple is studying the possibility ofadd a camera to his connected watch. In view of the patents, the Cupertino giant has also looked into the question from 2018. The firm has notably considered adding a rotating camera on the watch case or the integration of a photo sensor directly into the digital crown. So far, these ideas have not come to fruition.
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A detachable Apple Watch
In this new patent, Apple plans this time to integrate the photo sensor directly into the case of the Apple Watch. On the diagrams visible in the database of the United States Patent Office, the camera is placed on the back of the watch. To take pictures, you have to remove the case and turn it upside down. When recording a snapshot, the touch screen is turned towards the user’s face, as is the case when taking a photo with a smartphone.
Unsurprisingly, Apple does not expect the wearer to remove the bracelet every time they want to immortalize a memory. The company imagined a new detachable box system. This allows the case to be removed in a few seconds while keeping the bracelet on the wrist.
Obviously, you shouldn’t necessarily expect one of the next Apple Watches to have a back photo sensor. It’s not uncommon for Apple, or another tech giant, to patent innovations but never exploit them. By patenting their inventions, companies seek above all to protect themselves from competition. At this point, there is no indication that the Apple Watch Series 9, expected in late 2023, or the Apple Watch Ultra 2, expected in 2024, will incorporate a camera.
An unlikely idea?
Despite the patents that have appeared in recent years, we would be surprised if Apple suddenly decided to add a camera to its connected watches. First of all, the addition of such a system would oblige the firm to revise the design from top to bottom and building the Apple Watch.
However, Apple has always been content with minor changes to its connected watches. Besides a few aesthetic changes, the latest Apple Watch is not much different from the first iteration, released in 2015. It is hard to imagine Apple wanting to change everything with a rather far-fetched idea.
Above all, the firm must realize that an Apple Watch with camera will not only make fans. We do not see why a user would choose to take off your watch to take pictures while an iPhone, equipped with a device with several sensors, is in his pocket. Photos taken with the sensor of an Apple Watch will inevitably be less successful than those of the iPhone.
Anyway, Apple is not the only manufacturer to toy with the idea of a connected watch capable of taking photos. According to a series of leaks, Meta is currently working on a smartwatch with dual cameras. The first camera, housed in a hole in the touchscreen, would be used for video calls.
The second, fixed on the back side, would take pictures. Mirroring Apple, Meta provides for the wearer to detach the case to use it. Again, we don’t really see why a user would have fun with the case of his watch instead of drawing his smartphone…
Patently Apple
