The days of constantly swapping Apple Watch straps may soon be over, because the tech giant is working on a chameleon-inspired band that changes colour.
A newly-granted patent from the Cupertino firm describes an ‘electrochromic’ Apple Watch band that switches shades when a current is applied.
It would be made from a fabric woven from electrochromic filaments in three distinct bands that can each show alternate colours, the patent suggests.
Colours could be changed by the user to match their clothes, environment or mood, or could even flash to relay information such as notifications.
It follows news that Apple has already filed a patent for a camera on the bottom of an Apple Watch, for taking quick snaps or video.
The Apple Watch band would include an electrochromic feature allowing users to change the colour scheme in three distinct band zones to customise it for the user
The patent for the colour-changing band was granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office and noticed by Patently Apple.
‘Users may desire the ability to customise their watch bands to express variety and style,’ the patent reads.
‘For example, a user may desire a watch band of a particular color based on the user’s selection of clothing, other wearable articles, environment, or another preference.’
Apple Watch users can already swap out their strap for ones with a different colours or designs, but the new invention could eliminate the need for this.
‘The color selections can be made and adjusted without removing and exchanging the watch band,’ the patent explains.
Different sections of the filaments could also light up certain colours to display icons or shapes, almost like dot matrix display, the patent suggests.
‘Color-adjustable elements of the watch band can be arranged and independently controlled in a manner that allows the system to display particular icons, shapes, and/or text by illuminating certain elements in a particular way,’ it reads.
‘Accordingly, the color changing features can be used as a visual output of information from the watch to the user.’
The watch band is described as a ‘electrochromic’ device, meaning it changes colour when a current is applied. It would be made from a fabric woven from electrochromic filaments that change colour and back again
Apple Watch users can already swap out their strap for ones with a different colours or designs, but the new invention could eliminate the need for this
Electrochromic technology has already been used for window tinting on commercial planes, making them a darker colour so people can get to sleep.
These ‘smart’ electrochromic windows are also used in homes, giving people power to control the amount of heat and sunlight coming through.
But this would be a major design innovation for the Apple Watch, should it come to fruition.
The fact this patent has only just been granted suggests the colour band technology will be a while away from hitting the market.
Apple regularly files patents for several concepts without ever releasing them, so the colour-changing band may not even get a release.
MailOnline has contacted Apple for comment.
Apple was also awarded a patent earlier this month for a camera attached to an Apple Watch band, allowing the wearable to rotate or detach to snap a photo and make video calls.
The James Bond-worthy gadget would feature a unique band connecting the Apple Watch with a magnet or latch, allowing it to be easily removed and reattached.
The release of the first ever Apple Watch nearly a decade ago caused a stir in the tech industry but its latest flagship watch, Apple Watch 8, was described as providing only ‘incremental upgrades’ compared with the previous iteration.
The £419 ($399) Apple Watch 8 has an Always-On display – meaning the screen shows a small amount of quickly glanceable information when it’s idle.
It also has a strong crack-resistant front crystal, a temperature sensor that provides estimates of when a female wearer is ovulating and the same crash detection technology as the iPhone 14.
The Apple Watch Series 8 – which was launched last autumn along with two other watch models – is pictured here on display
Apple Watch 8 was launched alongside two other new watch models – Apple Watch SE 2 and Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple Watch SE delivers some of the Series 8’s advanced features, including crash detection, at a lower price (starting from £259 or $249).
Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Ultra is the Cupertino company’s most durable smartwatch to date – and its most expensive, at £849 or $799.
A rugged smartwatch for ‘extreme athletes’, it has flat sapphire front crystal and a titanium case that wraps around the display, as well as side buttons that work even when the user is wearing gloves.
Another tech firm called Nowatch turned heads at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last month when it showed off its display-less smartwatch that doesn’t even tell the time.
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
