Apple is investigating a completely redesigned Apple watch with a coating screen

Apple is investigating a possible radical redesign for the Apple Watch, which includes a rounded watch face, a flexible wrapping screen and digitally customizable watch bands, according to a new patent application.

The patent, seen by MacRumors today, it was titled “System Display Module and Applications” and was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The paper describes how a flexible screen could cover the entire face of the watch and the side of a smartwatch to get a new transformative Apple Watch design. The elongated screen is said to be flexible enough to contour around the shape of the user’s arm to fit a normal watch band.

In one application, embodiments of the invention describe a usable electronic device, such as a smart watch, which includes a flexible display panel and a flexible display module. This way, the display area of ​​the smartwatch is not limited to a rigid area of ​​the watch face. In one embodiment, a smartwatch includes a flexible display panel that integrates into a flexible watch band. Consequently, the curvature of the flexible display panel on both the face area and the watch can be adjusted to fit the size of the user’s wrist … the display area of ​​the flexible display board can cover more space available in the area of ​​the watch face and smart watch band.

Apple explains that the design includes a screen with a “plurality of interconnections” that extends “across the screen substrate from the front surface to the back surface, and that there is a series of LEDs in the area. and electrically connected to the plurality of interconnections “. “A battery, processor, ambient light sensor and other vital components of the smartwatch can be fixed inside an enclosure at the back of the large screen.

While the presentation explains that an OLED screen can be sensitive to air and moisture degradation without a protective rigid glass cover, in addition to being “problematic” with the use of “interconnections,” some technologies OLED screen may still be suitable for the radical new design. .

Apple also notes that the design could facilitate a “minimized” bezel around the screen for a more aesthetic look, and could even “remove” the bezel completely:

According to the embodiments of the invention, the width of the bevel surrounding the display panel can be minimized, for example below 4-5 mm or even less than 1 mm, less than 0.5 mm or remove. Therefore, the design of the bezel of the smartwatch can be designed for aesthetic issues and not as a requirement for allocating space for a contact ledge.

In addition to being able to select a watch design, as in current Apple Watch models, the patent explains that users could similarly select a digital band design that will be displayed in the band segment of the screen. with an “accessory manager” to create a unique look. The presentation describes a very similar system for selecting band designs, as it is currently for selecting and customizing the faces of the watch, with the option to do so on both the Apple Watch itself and a connected iPhone.

The input is analyzed to obtain the data to display and the derived data is displayed in the display area, where the display area is on a flexible display substrate covering one side and one side of the usable electronic device. . For example, the wearable electronic device may be a smartwatch. In one embodiment, the computer-readable non-transient support stores additional instructions for performing additional operations, including receiving a configuration of the display area of ​​the face and watch band, receiving a design in starting from the derived data, the design that includes a face and a band clock and updating the display area with the received design.

While the Apple Watch’s Crown Digital doesn’t appear to be represented in the design, an independent patent has been published today entitled “Capacitive Gap Sensor Ring for an Input Device,” which explains how the Digital Crown could use two “nested” capacitive rings. which move against each other for a wider range of input information.

Although Apple has not yet released any devices with a flexible screen, the company is believed to be working on an iPhone with a folding screen. Patents cannot be taken as proof of Apple’s specific intentions, but they do provide valuable information about what the company is researching and developing behind the scenes.

In addition, the depiction of an alternative Apple Watch design in a patent is very unusual, as Apple is usually aware of reflecting the current design of the Apple Watch in patent illustrations. Patents focused on the Apple Watch’s own physical design are even rarer and may hint at the future of the device.

The Apple Watch has effectively had the same design since its launch in 2016, apart from a minor update with the Apple Watch Series 4, and we have yet to see a substantial reimagining of the laptop’s form factor. Apple’s reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has already hinted that the Apple Watch Series 7 could have an “improved form factor design,” but there are still no indications of what the final device might look like. . The Apple Watch Series 7 is expected to launch later this year, but so far there have been few rumors about what the new model may feature apart from blood glucose control.