Apple Watches have a flashlight feature that turns the watch’s screen completely white, allowing users to try and see things in the dark. However, future Apple Watches could come with an external flashlight, which should be more useful.
According to a patent granted to Apple, the company is working on a device called “Modular Light Assembly For A Wearable Device,” which is “designed for integration with wearable devices.” It can be connected externally to a smartwatch’s housing and its band.
The schematic included in the patent gives us a fair idea of what the future Apple Watches could look like with the external flashlight attached to their bands. This looks like a more practical solution since the user can point it like a torchlight wherever they want to shine it instead of turning their wrist to point the watch’s screen, which has less range and brightness.
Moreover, this modular light will have its own power source so that it won’t affect the Apple Watch’s battery. It could also have a button to turn it on/off without interacting with the Apple Watch.
However, the patent says the “modular light can receive communication from the wearable device to activate (turn on) or deactivate (turn off) one or more light sources of the modular light assembly,” meaning users could also control it with their Apple Watch.
Modular Light • Exploded view of Modular Light
The modular light could also have an IP rating since the patent says, “modular light assemblies described herein may include liquid-resistant features, such as seals or O-rings, that prevent liquid ingress to sensitive components.”
The patent also reveals that the modular light is separable from the watch’s band, but “in some embodiments, band is sewn, adhered, or otherwise permanently attached” to the light, meaning the flashlight could be sold as a separate accessory for the Apple Watch. We could also see Apple launch new bands for the external flashlight.
