Apple has received a patent for a color-changing Apple Watch band that can be controlled via an app.
According to Patently Apple(Opens in a new tab), Apple received the patent on Tuesday from the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The filing, which is publicly accessible on the government website, describes how the technology would function. “Electrochromic features provide adjustable color control based on an applied voltage to offer a variety of colors and color combinations to be displayed by a single band,” according to the band. Users can “control, select, and/or adjust colors of the watch band” via a system, presumably an Apple Watch or iPhone interface.
The technology behind anti-glare mirrors in cars and smart glass windows that regulate heat and tint or become opaque is best known as electrochromic material. The patent describes how the band’s filaments or fibers can include conductors and electrochromic layers that respond to voltage. The filaments are then woven into fabric in the same way that any other cloth band is. The diagrams depict three stripes of fabric that can display different colors on their own.
The patent also describes how the color can be changed manually by the user or automatically adjusted based on time, date, text, icons, and notifications. As a result, if you receive a new text or your alarm goes off, your watch band may change color. So, similar to a highly sophisticated mood ring.
Weaving this technology, which is mostly used in glass, into fabric is a remarkable achievement. However, it’s worth noting that a color-changing Apple Watch band may never be released.
Apple and other large technology companies have moonshot research and development programs that frequently file patents that never materialize. Furthermore, interchangeable bands for the Apple Watch are profitable for Apple and open up opportunities for brand collaborations.
However, Apple recently received a patent for a built-in smartwatch camera, so these patents could be the seeds of some significant changes to come with the Apple Watch.
