Futuristic Optical Connector and Cellular/LTE-capable Apple Watch Among Four Dozen New Patents Awarded to Apple

Patents. Patents. Patents! If there’s one thing Apple is known best for, aside from creating some of the most innovative products we’ve ever seen or used, it’s the company’s well-documented penchant for patenting a plethora of technologies — some of which ultimately find their way into a commercialized product, and yet, many others that simply get sifted to the back of the pack.

Either way, Apple is an innovator — a trendsetter, if you will — in the tech space. So is it honestly any surprise that the company was just granted a total of four dozen (48) new patents earlier this week? Probably not.. And while most of them will unlikely see the light of day in the form of a final product, two of the 48 total patents, in particular, stand out as rather promising to us..

First and foremost is Apple’s new ‘Optical Connector’ patent — U.S. Patent No. 9,543,976. If you don’t recall, Cupertino first introduced its proprietary Smart Connector on the 12.9-inch iPad Pro last year, which was primarily introduced as a way of transferring data and power between the company’s behemoth tablet computer, and its all-new Smart Keyboard. No batteries. No charging required — just plug, play, and you’re ready to roll, err, type away.

Well, today’s Optical Connector patent, according to PatentlyApple, appears to be either the next evolution, or an entirely reconfigured, futuristic variation of Apple’s Smart Connector.

What’s most interesting, however, is not only that Apple details plans to expand the Optical Connector functionality to additional products, but the physical interface, as you can see from the file images below, is so discreet, Apple is touting that the technology could even employ a conductive charging component. (Did someone say wireless charging iPhone?!? I guess we’ll soon find out, right?)

Strangely enough, though, the patent filing also talks about the possibility of replacing Apple’s iconic Lightning connector with this Optical Connector, which may or may not ruffle some feathers even more. I mean, come on, though: how many input ports can the company get away with axing, right? Still, the concept of a wirelessly charging iPhone is something I know a lot of us have been waiting for, so it’ll be nice to see what Cupertino ultimately comes up with..

Anyways, moving right along we come to the next most interesting patent on the list, referred to only as ‘Cavity Antennas’, or U.S. Patent No. 9,455,489. To sum it up in a single concept, this patent is described by PatentlyApple as “an antenna that could be used in transmitting and receiving cellular telephone signals, wireless local area network signals, and other wireless traffic.”

Apple notes within the patent filing itself, however, that said antenna could also be used for implementation into other products beyond the iPhone, citing the company’s MacBook, Watch, a pendant device of some sort, headphone, earpiece, or other small wearables among the likely contenders.

Additionally, Apple was granted a slew of design patents, among which are pertinent to products including the top-of-the-line, cylindrical MacPro, and a supposed Apple Watch display table featuring special motorized mechanical operation.

Check out the chart below, provided by PatentlyApple, to see a full breakdown of the patents Apple was recently granted!

How do the prospects of a wireless charging iPhone and an LTE capable Apple Watch sound to you? Let us know in the comments!