Fictional characters like James Bond and Inspector Gadget may have been among the first people to get a “smart watch,” but the idea of a “smart watch” is quickly starting to hit the mainstream with products like the Pebble Watch. Not to be outdone, Apple is also reportedly in the labs developing an iWatch of their own and now we’ve got a leaked patent to prove it.
The patent drawing is just a sketch, but it does offer a glimpse into the possible design and features that an Apple iWatch might have. One of these features is the slap bracelet, which “consists of layered flexible steel bands sealed within a fabric cover.” You’ve probably seen some variation of these already. “In a first equilibrium position they can be flat. The second equilibrium is typically reached by slapping the flat embodiment across a wrist, at which point the bracelet curls around the wrist and stays relatively secure in a roughly circular position.”
This would necessitate that the Apple iWatch, or whatever it ends up being called, will have to make use of some sort of flexible display technology. We’ve seen advances in this field in the last couple of years, but not much has gone commercial just yet. Apple could be among the first to popularize the tech, which is possibly why they’re exploring AMOLED. They’re also saying that the iWatch could detect and adapt to the size of the wrist, providing the best use of the available display space. It’ll have to be a touchscreen too, of course.
Aside from that, we’re left to assume that the iWatch should have the usual set of wireless radios, like Bluetooth, for connectivity. There would also presumably be gyroscopes and accelerometers to orient the uninterrupted screen toward the user.
Source : mobilemag[dot]com
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