The Apple Watch Series 6 has only been available for a short time, but like any tech company wanting to stay ahead or at least abreast of its rivals, Apple has been busy looking forward to the next iteration. A couple of patents in regard to the Apple Watch have surfaced that could point to some big changes for the Apple Watch Series 7 range that would certainly please fans of the brand. The patents, reported by PatentlyApple and AppleInsider, respectively, concern a Touch ID button for the Apple Watch and a two-stage display that would allow for an under-display camera.
Touch ID has been around for some time, with the technology first being introduced to the Apple iPhone 5S (2013). Although Touch ID usage has now spread over Apple’s range of iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks, it has not been implemented with the Apple Watch yet. But that could change according to a patent titled “electronic device having sealed button biometric sensing system”. Drawings in the patent are clearly of a smartwatch, so it is possible an Apple Watch Series 7 device could end up with an additional physical button underneath the present existing one specifically for this purpose. It would add an extra layer of security to the wearable and could be used for user authentication, approving purchases, and accessing or securing sensitive information.
But if Apple really wants to make an Apple Watch 7 spectacular, then a Touch ID button might not cut the mustard on its own. Also adding an under-display camera that utilized two-stage display technology would do the trick though. A separate patent, appropriately titled “electronic device with two-stage displays”, suggests that an under-display camera could be installed in an Apple Watch that only becomes visible when its usage is required. This kind of technology has already surfaced with concept smartphones such as the OnePlus Concept One. A transparent layer is enabled when the camera is used and disabled when not required. Of course, innovations in patents don’t always come to fruition, but at least Apple is not short of ideas for the successor to the Apple Watch Series 6.