Apple officially introduced the Apple Watch in September 2014, but it wasn't until 2015 that it finally hit the market. The design of the Apple Watch remained the same until 2018, when the Apple Watch Series 4 was introduced, a model with a larger screen, but keeping the same exterior design and being compatible with the 38 and 42 mm straps.
Apple continues to work on new shapes and designs for future Apple Watch models. Based on the latest patent that we know of that you filed, Apple wants to add new functions to the crown of the device and an optical sensor that responds to touch could be integrated in future models.
In the patent number 20200033815 that he has registered in the United States and called Optical sensor clock for user input, Apple claims that smartwatches are becoming more popular and that the features and functionalities they offer continues to expand to meet consumer needs and expectations.
This patent shows us the idea of Apple to replace in the future, the crown of the Apple Watch with a sensor that responds to touch and does not physically rotate. By ceasing to be a mechanism and becoming completely flat, this sensor will free up space inside the device, space that can be used to add other functionalities.
This sensor would not only allow interaction with the device, but also also allowed to add new functions like a temperature meter, humidity sensor, atmospheric pressure meter ...
Being a patent, that does not mean that a model with this design can see the light at some point, but if we take into account the tendency to downsize devices Already incorporating more technology, removing the crown is likely to be the next major change we see in the Apple Watch
