Apple Files Patent for Watch With Foldable Screens and Cameras
The application states the device “can be folded to be compact, and…extended when increased screen size is desired.”
Apple has filed a patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for a “wearable electronic device” featuring two movable screens and cameras. The application outlines plans for an Apple Watch concept with a display that “can be folded to be compact, and…extended when increased screen size is desired.”
The sketches included in the filing propose several ideas for how the moveable screen model might work. One illustration pictures a hinged mechanism, while another showcases one screen flipping out from a primary display, and a third sees the two screens operate with an adjustable panel.
The company explained that the adaptable screens would make its watch more versatile: the large screen might be better for those “making phone/video calls, playing games, browsing the web” on their wrist, while the smaller form is more ideal “for day-to-day activities, outdoor activities, etc.”
Elsewhere, additional sketches see two cameras attached to the foldable screen system, which would allow users to take photos or answer FaceTime calls from their wrists. Notably, the patent states that “sensors, lights, [and] cameras” would be integrated into the device.
It’s not certain whether or not Apple’s foldable watch concept will hit the market. The company does file hundreds of patents every year and many never end up coming to fruition. As Apple Magazine pointed out, the foldable iPhone, rumored to be released in 2026, may take priority over the watch design.
