Apple Watch 2 Specs Could Include 'Woven Display,' Patent Suggests
Patent applications are a good place to spot possible features or products, although they are not a guarantee that these features or products will actually hit the market anytime soon or in the future. Nevertheless, they are a great source of information that reveals where a company is investing its time and effort in, and as such is worth looking into. One such patent application, which was spotted recently, comes from Apple.
On Thursday, Dec. 3, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple. The patent is titled "Woven Display" and is credited to inventors Douglas J. Weber and Teodor Dabov.
Here's what the abstract can tell people about this new patent:
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"A woven fabric includes light transmissive fibers woven into the fabric to provide a visual display. The fabric may be used as a tether to releasably connect a portable electronic device to a user. The light transmissive fibers may transmit light to convey information to the user. The fabric may also be used as part of the housing of an electronic device."
The patent application details how a "woven fabric" can be used to house an electronic device (as a strap to a watch) and even display visual information. The fabric uses nylon and other light-transmissive materials that are then interwoven into conventional textiles.
Publications like Value Walk and Apple Insider are suggesting or speculating that the patent could be used as some type of "high tech band" for the successor to the Apple Watch. The smart fabric can visually display information, such as time and notifications, such as low battery status alert, and so act as a secondary display to the Apple Watch 2. It can also function as a tethering device as shown in the image on the left.
The high-tech woven display, however, may not be limited to the Apple Watch 2. It can also be used as a visual indicator for Apple's iPad, iPod, and even MacBook laptop.
