Apple may be working on wristbands to hold your smartwatches or fitness trackers

Apple Watch may arguably be one of the hottest wearable techs in the market, but what happens if the smartwatch can’t even sit comfortably on your wrist? The answer to this question is what Apple has been working on, as revealed by the USPTO in the iPhone makers’ latest patent application. 

The 29-page document, which was first filed back in 2022 but only published in April 2024, details the design of a wristband that holds electronic devices like watches or fitness trackers comfortably on your wrist. 

So for this wristband, Apple has flexible magnets, made of a polymer mixed with a magnetic material, to keep it safe and durable. These magnets are strong enough to hold the device securely but still bendy and comfy to wear. 

How does it work, though? Well, the wristband is adjustable to fit comfortably on your wrist by overlapping its sections. It attaches to the electronic device with connectors and a retaining ring, so you can switch wristbands easily. One side of the wristband touches your skin (the contact surface), while the other side sticks to itself (the engagement surface). 

Then, magnets near the engagement surface can also help the sections stick together when you fold or overlap the wristband.

Sure, watches already do have bands, but they have different degrees of comfort and sometimes, even traditional bands can break before the device does. And here’s where this wristband comes in as a solution, or at least that’s what Apple proposes.

But being a new patent, there are still chances that this tech may not see the light, although Apple is clearly working on it. The iPhone makers have also been granted more patents than Microsoft and Google last year, so, here’s hoping.