Apple is continuing to research new technology and accessories for the Apple Watch. Earlier this year, a patent revealed technology that could power a color-changing Apple Watch band. Now, the US Patent and Trademark Office has granted Apple a patent for an Apple Watch band with an integrated NFC module…that could be used for good or bad.
Apple Watch’s NFC band technology
As first spotted by Patently Apple, this patent covers an Apple Watch band with an integrated NFC chip that is then able to communicate with the NFC chip inside the Apple Watch itself. The Apple Watch can then identify which band is connected, then use that information to do a few different things.
For instance, watchOS could dynamically change its user interface based on which band is attached. This could include changing watch faces altogether, or adjusting the design of the current watch face to better match the color of the new watch band. The Apple Watch could also toggle different apps, such as the workouts app, when a particular band is connected.
Additionally, this could also allow Apple to crack down on third-party Apple Watch bands. The report from Patently Apple highlights this text from the patent:
Upon determination that a band that is coupled to the device is not an authorized band, a warning may be provided using an output component of the device, and/or one or more features of the device may be disabled or otherwise modified. In another example, a particular band may be associated with a particular application or service on the wearable electronic device.
Upon identification of a band that is associated with a particular application or service on the wearable electronic device, the device may activate or provide access to features associated with that application or service
The patent also describes a system in which the Apple Watch bands include other components alongside the NFC chip. This could include “one or more sensors” such as “environmental sensors, biometric sensors, gesture sensors, inertial sensors, or the like.”
9to5Mac’s Take
This is an interesting patent that covers a broad range of additional features for the Apple Watch and its accessory ecosystem. As always, it’s important to remember the disclaimer: Apple patents anything and everything, so just because something is patented doesn’t mean it will ever see the light of day as an actual feature.
The pessimist in me is inclined to think Apple’s most likely use of this capability is for cracking down on third-party knock-off watch bands.
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