- The Apple Watch tracks a wide range of health metrics
- Future Apple Watch models may have health sensors in the band
- Apple could also bring this technology to the Vision Pro’s headband
The Apple Watch is one of the best smartwatches you can buy, and part of the reason is its power in measuring and improving your health. But Apple isn’t resting on its laurels, and it appears the company is planning to integrate medical sensors into the bands of future Apple Watch models – following on from a handy blood pressure feature we recently saw in the Huawei Watch D2.
That information came to light in a recently published patent (number 12133743, spotted by Clearly apple). The patent, titled “Fabric-Based Items with Stretchy Bands,” describes how sensors can be embedded into a stretchy fabric band, and that these sensors can measure everything from blood pressure and electrocardiogram readings to respiratory rates and more. Apple already sells elastic fabric bands for use as Apple Watch bands, suggesting this idea could be tied to the Apple Watch in the coming years.
And it’s not just healthcare that Apple has its eye on. The patent also explains that the circuitry in the fabric can be used to receive wireless power, potentially allowing you to use your device completely remotely.
Or it can be used to “communicate wirelessly with external electronic equipment,” allowing the device to send and receive information when paired with an iPhone or a Mac, for example.
Watch this space
Apple doesn’t just think this technology can be embedded in a smartwatch. It also says it can be used in virtually any other garment, including hats, gloves, sportswear and belts.
Most interesting of all, the patent also notes that the technology could work well in “a headband with elastic fabric.” That sounds very similar to the band in the Vision Pro headset. Is it possible that Apple will build health measurement circuitry directly into the Vision Pro’s headband? It cannot be completely ruled out.
We know that Apple is considering building healthcare features into its other devices, and there are rumors that upcoming versions of the AirPods will be able to measure various user health data. And the Apple Watch seems to gain more medical capabilities with each new version, so it doesn’t seem unusual for Apple to consider expanding these features to other devices.
Apple isn’t the only company working on adding health tracking to the band of its smartwatch. For example, as we mentioned earlier, the Huawei Watch D2 can track your blood pressure directly from its band.
While this latest revelation from Apple is just a patent – meaning Apple may simply be exploring ideas that never actually get implemented – it may not be long before Apple follows in Huawei’s footsteps and brings some noticeable health benefits to its users brings.