Forget the Foldable iPhone! Apple Has Patented a Foldable Apple Watch with Two Screens

A new patent has revealed that Apple is considering a complete redesign of the Apple Watch, featuring a foldable dual screen and camera.

• New Apple Watch patent revealed, with 5G and WiFi?

The patent, loosely titled “electronic wearable device,” was filed by Apple in September 2023 and published on March 20.

First spotted by PatentlyApple, the filing shows a wearable device that "includes a fixed portion and a movable portion" with a display assembly and optical sensors, presumably to record when the display is opened and closed.

The patent's text notes that even today's best smartwatches are "limited in screen size and functionality compared to smartphones" and are therefore favored for multiple interactions with the device.

Apple highlighted the “continued need for improved functionality of wearable electronic devices,” hence the proposed groundbreaking redesign.

Is this the Apple Watch of the future?

The usual dense patent language is supplemented with images that clearly show Apple's vision for the future smartwatch.

It refers to a device that contains both an outer display and an inner display, the inner display being two hidden displays inside a folding mechanism similar to any foldable smartphone we're familiar with.

One such version of the patent includes a "continuous" display, a single unit joined by a folding mechanism, rather than two separate displays folding into each other.

There is also a reference to a movable part, rotating around an axis, as in the image above.

Another part of the patent references a pair of outward-facing and inward-facing cameras that could be used to take photos and answer FaceTime calls.

As you can imagine, this weird overhaul of the Apple Watch is a long way off, so don't expect to see a foldable Apple Watch Ultra 3 with two cameras.

However, Apple has at least explored the idea of ​​overhauling the design of the Apple Watch. By its very nature, its form factor is small and limited in scope, so a foldable display mechanism is a novel solution to that problem.

Another recently revealed patent shows that Apple is looking into blood pressure monitoring technology powered by a fluid-filled sensor in the Apple Watch strap.

Of course, this is just an idea on paper at this point and may never see the light of day, but it's certainly a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how Apple considers designs for future tech, especially its wearables.