Apple Submits Patent for Timepiece Featuring Foldable Displays and Cameras

The application indicates that the gadget "can be folded for compactness and...extended when a larger screen size is required."

Apple

Apple has submitted a patent application to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a "wearable electronic device" that has two adjustable screens and cameras. The application delineates an idea for an Apple Watch including a display that is "capable of being folded for compactness and extended when a larger screen is required."

The submitted sketches present many concepts for the functionality of the movable screen model. One illustration depicts a hinged device, another features a screen extending from a central display, and a third illustrates two screens functioning with an adjustable panel.

Apple

The business articulated that the flexible screens would enhance the versatility of its watch: the larger display may be preferable for individuals engaging in “phone/video calls, gaming, and web browsing” on their wrist, whereas the smaller variant is more suitable for “daily tasks, outdoor pursuits, etc.”

Additionally, other sketches depict two cameras integrated into the foldable screen system, enabling users to capture photographs or respond to FaceTime calls from their wrists. The patent specifies that the device will incorporate "sensors, lights, [and] cameras."

The market viability of Apple's folding watch concept remains uncertain. The corporation files hundreds of patents year, many of which do not materialize. According to Apple Magazine, the anticipated foldable iPhone, expected to launch in 2026, may supersede the watch design.