Patent Filing Suggests Apple Watch Could Get FaceTime Camera

Patently Apple points to a recently granted patent awarded to Apple which suggests that future Apple Watches could get a built-in FaceTime camera.

If you recall, over a year ago, Mark Gurman reported that Apple has been mulling over the idea of putting a FaceTime camera in the next-generation Apple Watch, rumored to be laughing this Fall.

Two months after the initial launch of the Apple Watch, and only a day following the device’s debut at Apple Stores, sources have revealed Apple’s intentions for the 2016 release of a second-generation model. According to multiple sources familiar with Apple’s plans, the Apple Watch 2 is set to gain a video camera, a new wireless system for greater iPhone independence, new premium-priced models, and surprisingly similar battery life…

At the time, the rumor was that Apple would embed the FaceTime camera in the bezel, something that strikes me as a little odd. Given how smooth the Apple Watch bezel is, I would hope that it’s not as prominent as a camera on iPhone. Instead, I’d rather see it embedded in the display in a way that isn’t noticeable.

I’m still curious what the FaceTime camera would even be used for. Has Apple come up with a good enough reason to have one? Do I really want people seeing up my nose when I take a FaceTime call? Perhaps Apple has figured out a better way to implement a camera into the Apple Watch that we haven’t thought of. Maybe the camera itself can be used for scanning which could make things interesting especially in the world of shopping.

We’re only a few months away from Apple’s Fall event, where we’re expecting Apple to unveil a new Apple Watch alongside a new iPhone and perhaps a new MacBook Pro. I’m gonna be very much interested in seeing what the Apple Watch 2 has to offer. I’m hoping it’s good or I’ll probably hang onto my first-generation Apple Watch a little bit longer.