Apple Watch will support Touch ID in the future

The US Patent and Trademark Office recently announced a new patent application by Apple to move the built-in watch antenna to the strap of the future Apple Watch. It is also possible to add the Touch ID function to the display. It is alleged that the US Patent Application No. 20190341677 published by the US Patent Office was submitted by Apple in Q2 in 2018.

Image: patentlyapple

Apple’s invention generally relates to antenna assemblies for straps, and more particularly to stretchable antenna elements embedded in a strap. The strap provides wireless communication through the embedded antenna to protect the structural integrity and operation of the antenna. According to the patent description, the antenna assembly on the strap can be adaptively stretched and bent together with the body of the strap. The embedded antenna assembly avoids damage from external pressure and maintains strap comfort while the user is wearing it.

It is worth noting that Apple has shown that the Apple Watch display may support touch sensing devices, force-sensing devices, temperature sensing devices, or fingerprint sensors. According to analysis, this is clearly Apple’s hidden Touch ID feature in the patent.

Via: patentlyapple