Apple watch
Users of Apple smart watches will soon be able to enjoy a new feature that the American company is working on integrating into its Apple Watch smart watch.
According to a patent recently registered by Apple, the company plans to provide its watches with a built-in camera that allows users to make video calls via the FaceTime application and the ability to unlock the watch via facial recognition technology.
The patent states that the camera and microphone attached to it will be placed diagonally between the body of the watch and the wrist strap. In addition to making video calls, the camera will allow taking photos and videos and scanning documents. The new design differs from other designs that had appeared in a previous patent for Apple, as the old patent placed the camera in the crown of the watch.
Interestingly, in the new patent, Apple placed the camera in an oblique angle, which may indicate that the camera is equipped with an ultra-wide lens that allows capturing wide scenes that reveal the areas surrounding the user from above and in front. In addition to the innovative camera placement, Apple may take inspiration from the Continuity Camera feature, which turns iPhones into standalone webcams for MacBooks.
Despite their rarity in the market, some companies have introduced smart watches equipped with cameras, some of which come with a camera on the back of the watch that allows making video calls, and some of them come with a camera on the front that allows taking photos and videos. Although the camera feature is still absent from smart watches produced by major companies in this market such as Samsung, Huawei and Xiaomi.