Apple’s new patent hints at plans of adding a camera to the Apple Watch

Via the wanting glass: Apple was granted a brand new patent for a removable watch-based digicam retention system earlier this week. The patent features a removable band design and a quick-release retention mechanism to assist a watch-based digicam. Whereas there is not any assure will probably be produced, the patent is nice indication that Apple is actively trying to ship new options for his or her watch-wearing followers.

Issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace on February 7, the brand new patent (US-11571048-B1) focuses particularly on a strap-based, quick-release system that enables for handy entry to an built-in watch-based digicam.

Based mostly on the patent info, the retention system might give customers the choice to shortly and simply take away the watch face, seize photographs from a bottom-facing digicam, after which simply exchange the system again within the unique place. The data was first reported by Patently Apple…

This new strap-based system is hardly Apple’s first try at patenting watch-based digicam performance. In 2019, the corporate was awarded US-10331083-B1 for a watch band with an built-in, versatile optical sensor. If made accessible, this rotatable digicam would permitting photographs to be taken with out the necessity to take away the watch from the person’s wrist.

Apple would not be the primary firm to carry small-form digicam know-how to wearable units both. Samsung tried to normalize the wearable digicam idea with the Galaxy Gear’s preliminary launch in September 2013. Nonetheless, the system was shortly overshadowed by the Apple Watch and customers weren’t wowed by the Galaxy’s built-in 1.9MP digicam.

Whereas a high-quality embedded digicam might have sensible use for some, it does elevate potential privateness and safety considerations for others.

The flexibility to seize photographs covertly by eradicating the necessity for a bigger, handheld digicam or cellphone opens the door to something from secret, unauthorized, and compromising photographs to elevated danger of company espionage. The embedded cameras would require a brand new stage of safety and consciousness to make sure they weren’t improperly utilized in areas comparable to colleges, locker rooms, restrooms, or in areas the place confidential paperwork and knowledge are prone to being captured.

The prevalence of know-how like embedded cameras in wearable units locations much more emphasis on the enforcement of legal guidelines and acts such because the Video Voyeurism Prevention Act. The act, which protects people from being recorded in personal areas with out their consent, is the kind of safety that’s integral to making sure applied sciences like watch-based cameras are made accessible for accountable customers whereas offering protections for potential victims of misuse.

Picture credit score: David Švihovec