First spotted by Patently Apple , the patent's summary and description section details the strap, which is two-piece and has a "slot" part. The concept was to create a quick and ergonomic way to remove the watch from the strap.
This could open up new ways to use the Apple Watch, not limited to the wrist. As stated in the Claims section, it can be used for things like taking pictures with a built-in camera. Figure 3 in the patent shows a person holding a strapless watch to take pictures. Figure 4 shows a cross section of an Apple Watch with a downward facing built-in camera and field of view. That is, you can remove the watch, hold the camera part and take a photo.
As Patently Apple notes, this isn't the first time Apple has filed a camera-related patent for the Watch. Apple filed another patent last year titled "Watch with a camera". It was describing a scenario where a camera was inserted into the Digital Crown and one of the schematics was basically the same as Figure 3 above. In 2019, the company received a patent for a rotatable camera placed at the end of a strap. In fact, a third-party Apple Watch accessory that works similarly, called Wristcam , has surfaced before.
Frankly, this concept seems like a concept that someone from Apple has given a lot of thought to. Moreover, there seem to be legitimate reasons why customers want to buy a smartwatch camera. One of the biggest advantages of the Apple Watch is that it allows iPhone users to spend less time on their phones, potentially even leaving their phones behind while they're running errands, hiking, or exercising. A camera can also add photo or video capture in between.
One of the riskiest uses of having a camera in a smartwatch is to stealthily take photos or videos. As seen in the example of Google Glass before, the thought of someone surreptitiously filming you can be disturbing. However, the additional volume and battery life that the camera will add to the smart watch are among the important reservations.
In any case, it's worth repeating that patents are no guarantee of anything. Big tech companies often proactively apply for patents for ideas, just in case. Maybe Apple thought about cameras and decided not to implement this idea. Or there may be a chance that a future Apple Watch will have a built-in camera. Either way, it's worth noting that wearable cameras are something tech companies are considering. The pros and cons of this will also be discussed extensively.
