Detachable Apple Watch with rear-facing camera for handy snapshot-taking turns up in patent

On the surface, an Apple Watch with a rear-facing camera doesn’t sound like a great idea unless the user wants dozens of accidental snapshots of their wrist. But a recently awarded patent that was discovered by Patently Apple reveals that Cupertino has been thinking outside of the box with this idea, and it could actually be an attractive sell in reality. The trick is to have made the Apple Watch with camera quickly detachable from its band.

The idea is that the Apple Watch comes with a band that has a special “nest portion” integrated into it. This allows for the watch device itself to be popped out of the band, with the display then becoming an electronic viewfinder. The user can hold the Apple Watch with camera in either hand and take quick snapshots in a situation where a smartphone may not be as easily accessible or practical. A simple magnet or latch would make it straightforward to attach and detach the watch housing.

Of course, being a patent, this means that the detachable Apple Watch with camera may never become a reality. Interestingly, the inventor mentioned in the US patent is Antonio F. Herrera, who is a product design engineer for Apple Watch. It seems likely that an Apple Watch with camera will eventually become a reality, but this detachable component with rear-facing lens is an interesting take on how this feature could actually be implemented.

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