The Apple Watch has come a long way since it was first introduced back in 2015. One thing it hasn’t done? Gone circular, with Apple instead opting to stick with its rectangular display for all iterations of the wearable device.
But that could (possibly) one day change, based on a granted Apple patent that was published earlier today.
Titled “Electronic device having display with curved edges,” the patent describes a way of more efficiently fitting pixels into a circular display. This is something that Apple notes presents a problem with smartwatches opting for anything other than a rectangular screen. There are several possible solutions, including the use of an array of circular pixels.
The interesting part, however, comes down to the timing of the patent. While there’s every chance that Apple explored a possible circular design for the Apple Watch during the design phase, this appears not to be a rejected patent. That’s because it was filed by Apple around eight months after the debut of the first-gen Apple Watch. This means that Apple had engineers working on the project after the first Apple Watch was publicly shown off.
Whether that means it’s more likely to see the light of day remains to be seen. Ultimately, we know that even established products like the iPhone go through myriad prototypes each year, examining different shapes, materials and screen sizes to work out what users are most likely to go for. However, it shows that Apple’s not so wedded to the rectangular form factor that it won’t consider other possible options.
Would you like to have the option of a circular Apple Watch? Can you think of a practical way for a round interface to work? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Patently Apple
