New Apple Watch 2 Patents Hint at Additional Hardware Buttons, New Camera Module

Rumors of an Apple Watch 2 have been swirling about the web for months now — with possible release dates, size changes, and other intricate product speculations fueling the fire of this seemingly incessant, internet-driven wearable frenzy.

And while we still don’t know exactly when Apple will be unveiling its 2nd generation Watch, a series of recently awarded Apple Watch 2 patents appear to give us a preview of what might be looming just over the imminent horizon — perhaps even by year’s end — for eager and expectant Apple Watch fans.

Perhaps one of the most exciting possibilities that have been floating around in recent months, is that Apple’s 2nd generation wearable will feature its own camera. While this camera is largely expected to focus on FaceTime functionality via Apple Watch, it could also potentially be used for scanning bar codes at the store for instant price comparisons, among other possibilities.

While neither of the new patents appear to suggest the explicit presence of a “camera” on the Apple Watch 2, one of them, in particular, vividly details a smartwatch user interface in which the Apple could be testing the waters in terms of how a camera module would be most perfectly situated on future iterations of Apple Watch.

The evidence from the patent information appears to suggest that Apple is, at the least, experimenting with the plausibility of a camera on future watches. However, this minimal evidence, in and of itself, is hardly confirmation that we should be anticipating a camera-capable Apple Watch (until further notice).

The other patent appears to show a distinct set of pressable hardware buttons, located on the opposite side of the current generation Apple Watch’s Digital Crown dial. We obviously don’t know much about how, or even if, Apple’s additional hardware buttons will function on the forthcoming Watch (or if they will even debut at all); but the sheer presence of additional buttons is certainly interesting to see, especially for the first time, as Apple could ultimately have much bigger plans for the Apple Watch 2 than most would-be customers and 1st generation Watch upgraders are expecting.

Let’s remember to keep in mind though, big-brand companies like Apple, tend to patent far, far more intellectual property than they actually pursue. So these patents, for what they’re worth, might not be a telltale sign of what’s to come. But still, these patents do show us that Apple is still in its constant pursuit to better our lives through new and exciting technology.

What are your thoughts about these new Apple Watch 2 camera and button patents? Let us know in the comments!