14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is exploring several ways to improve the Apple Watch for the next generation, and in addition to the highly-anticipated new design, the company could also add a bunch of new features.
Until now, we’ve seen several hints that Apple Watch Series 4 could boast blood pressure monitoring, and a new patent discovered recently seems to confirm that Cupertino is considering such an option.
The patent doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to the table, but it does confirm that Apple could be looking into a traditional approach to measure blood pressure, including dedicated sensors that might be placed on the back of the device. The patent highlights the main components of the new system:
“A blood pressure measurement system, comprising: a pressure sensor; an expandable member comprising a plurality of expandable cells, wherein the plurality of expandable cells comprises at least three expandable cells or at least two repeating expandable cells; and an expansion actuator configured to selectively expand the expandable member.”
New Apple Watch design
Surprisingly, Apple applied for this patent in June 2016, but the company has received it on June 7, which gives it enough time to prepare the feature for the next-generation model.
As for the upcoming Apple Watch, rumor has it that Cupertino is working on a refined design that could even include a circular display, though this means that the company would have to completely rethink the interface of the operating system.
More reliable sources, however, have indicated that Apple is planning less substantial refinements despite the new hardware. The new Apple Watch could be thinner and feature an improved screen with smaller bezels, as part of a design approach that Apple is also using for the iPhone.
The facelifted model could see daylight in September this year, alongside new-generation iPhones, while sales should begin later the same month or in early October.