Apple Watch 3 Could Be Thinner As Haptic Motor Moves To Wristband

The Apple Watch is by no means a chunky device. In fact there are plenty of traditional timepieces out there that are considerably bigger and thicker. However Apple’s obsession with slimming down their products is pretty well-known so it isn’t surprising to learn that Apple could be exploring ways of making the Apple Watch even thinner.

In a recent patent discovered by AppleInsider, it seems that Apple is looking at possibly moving the haptic motor to the wristband of the Apple Watch. By removing the component from the body of the watch itself, it could result in an even thinner body. We won’t necessarily say that it’s lighter since the overall weight should remain the same as the motor is merely being moved elsewhere.

The patent suggests that the haptic motor could be placed anywhere on the band, although there is a diagram (see image to the right) that suggests that it could be placed within the watchband spring bars which would place nicely with the magnetic band attachment interface. AppleInsider speculates that the motor could be hardwired to the watch through the diagnostics port, which in the past has led to rumors that we could be seeing “smart” Apple Watch bands in the future.

Take it with a grain of salt for now as this is merely a patent. There is no guarantee that what we see here will be implemented in future Apple Watch designs, but it is certainly an interesting look at the ideas Apple has up their sleeves.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Apple, Gadgets
Tags: Apple Watch, Patent, Smartwatch, Wearable Tech