Apple has officially secured a patent to add a camera to its Watch—providing a James Bond-like feature to this popular wearable device.
Key Details
- Apple has filed several patents to add a camera to its smartwatches, the first filing dating back to 2016, but the company has officially secured a patent this month.
- The patent is for a camera attached to the band, allowing the watch to rotate or detach to take a picture and make video calls.
- The camera will likely be attached to the back of the watch with a magnet that will allow it to be easily removed.
- The watch will feature an element that enables users to easily detach the camera without having to remove the watch.
Why it’s important
Apple has been looking to add a camera to its Apple watch for years filing several patents to allow the company to do so, but it hasn’t been possible until now.
Apple has officially secured a patent to add a camera to its line of smartwatches. After filing patents for years, the camera patent was officially accepted this month.
The camera will likely be attached to the back of the watch with a magnet allowing it to be detached easily without removing the whole watch.
Apple says the design features an attachment mechanism that permits quick or ergonomic release of the watch housing or main case body from a user’s wrist. The key element will allow users to rotate the camera device upwards without removing the watch.
Once the camera is positioned correctly, users can press a button on the wristband or watch or use the Siri voice assistant to capture the photo.
There is no guarantee that the next Apple Watch will feature a camera because most patents are still in the idea phase.