Apple Watch with a built-in camera could be in the offing, new patents suggest

Apple has a reputation for adopting newfangled technologies for its devices. However, the American tech giant came under fire for the lack of innovation on some of its recently launched products. Now, it looks like Apple is sparing no effort in a bid to amend its rundown reputation.

In line with this, the Cupertino-based firm is probably planning to bring a camera to the popular Apple Watch. This piece of information comes from recently surfaced patents (via Patently Apple). While they do not guarantee anything, gadget patents offer a glimpse into a company's future strategy.

Likewise, Apple's plans for its upcoming smartwatches have been revealed. Notably, it looks like the tech behemoth is planning to incorporate a camera sensor into its next-gen Apple Watch. Apple reportedly has a myriad of patents that imply the company wants to add a camera to its upcoming Apple Watch.

Patent applications usually shed ample light on a company's plans. For instance, patents reveal features that are likely to see the light of day on a new or existing product. To recap, Apple recently won a patent (US-11571048-B1) for a smartwatch strap release mechanism.

Apparently, the company could use this strap release mechanism with a built-in camera. However, it is worth mentioning here that a camera-equipped Apple Watch might not go official despite Apple making this patent application. This is merely a sign that Apple is exploring some new areas.

The patent comprises two segments and a strap with a "nest" section that enables users to detach the watch from the strap in a jiffy. This mechanism could pave the way for new use cases for the Apple Watch. For instance, it might come in handy for capturing pictures with its built-in camera.

The patent shows a person taking a picture with a strapless watch. Aside from this, we can see a cross-section of the smartwatch with a built-in camera at the bottom. Also, it illustrates the camera's field of view. So, it looks like a user would need to first remove the watch, and hold the camera portion up to take pictures.

To recap, Apple has previously filed patents related to filed camera for the Apple Watch. Last year, the company won a patent dubbed, "Watch having a camera." This patent illustrates a camera in the digital crown. Also, it comprised diagrams that resemble pictures seen in the recent patent.

Apple was also granted a patent for a rotatable camera on a strap back in 2019. A third-party accessory for Apple Watch called the Wristcam works similarly.