Apple wants to add a flashlight to future Apple Watches

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in Apple Watch edited September 17

Forget the little light you get from the Apple Watch screen, Apple is researching how to get a brighter external one fitted to a Watch band.

External, directional light on an Apple Watch
External, directional light on an Apple Watch



Apple Watch already comes with a flashlight, it's just not as well known as the one in the iPhone. That's because in comparison to the iPhone's flashlight, Apple rather hides that the Watch has one too.

Press the side button on an Apple Watch and then swipe down the screen until you see an icon of a flashlight. Just tap it, and prepare to initially be disappointed.

That's because what happens when you do turn on the flashlight is that the whole Apple Watch face turns completely white (or flashing white, or red, for attracting help).

At that point, you're looking at the face and it seems practically feeble. But that's because Apple doesn't want to shine a bright light into your eyes.

If you turn your wrist away, and you're in a dark enough area, you will see the light brighten considerably after a few moments. It's still not exactly blinding, and you are having to hold your arm at a funny angle to shine the light where you want, but it works well.

But seemingly not well enough for Apple.

For the company has been researching an alternative Watch flashlight, and the details are in a newly-granted patent application called "Modular Light Assembly For A Wearable Device."

This proposes ignoring the on-screen flashlight, and instead fitting a real one to the Apple Watch. It would go on the band, positioned close to the Watch chassis, and shine wherever you point, "separate from the display of the wearable device."

"Put another way," says Apple, "light sources..., when illuminated, generate visible light cast in a direction that is parallel, or at least substantially parallel, to an axis defined by a user's appendage (not shown) when the appendage passes through band."

Breakdown of what looks less like a flashlight, more like a sonic screwdriver
Breakdown of what looks less like a flashlight, more like a sonic screwdriver



As ever with a patent application, the detail is all about how something could be done, and there is little about why you would do it. This time, though, there is a brief mention of a specific benefit, or at least a possible one if the light has its own battery.

"[When] the modular light sources includes a dedicated (i.e., separate) battery," says Apple, "the wearable device is less susceptible to the display draining the wearable device battery."

So we could have a brighter flashlight, it could be that we would be more usefully able to aim it where we want. And it might not drain the battery.

There is one more thing, though. This is the second time that this particular patent, or a very close version of it, has been granted. It may still not mean that Apple is serious about adopting the idea in a shipping product, but it does mean that the company is pursuing the idea.

The patent is credited to two inventors, including Daniel J. Hiemstra, who previously worked on a flat-edge design for the Apple Watch.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    xgmanxgman Posts: 159member
    good, cause you now need it to be able to see the dimly lit display at night.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 2 of 10
    XedXed Posts: 2,820member
    This is simply a small flashlight that attaches to your Apple Watch. I'm wondering what about this is unique enough to be patented. These have been around for many years for a variety of products, albeit larger than is shown in the patent.

    https://gearward.com/products/watch-flashlight
    darkvaderwatto_cobrabyronlVictorMortimer
  • Reply 3 of 10
    king editor the grateking editor the grate Posts: 662member
    I’ve woken to dead Watch due to using screenlight to find can in night and falling asleep before turning it off. I’ve sent comments to a Mapple that it should turn off after inactivity, but perhaps the emergency flasher aspect is reason for leaving it this way. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 4 of 10
    CLS9CLS9 Posts: 6member
    I wouldn't have any use for this. Besides being clunky, it would likely cost a small fortune. Between my Apple watch screen light, iPhone flashlight, and the little dollar store light thingy I've clipped to my key ring, I'm covered.
    darkvaderwatto_cobra
  • Reply 5 of 10
    darkvaderdarkvader Posts: 1,146member
    Xed said:
    This is simply a small flashlight that attaches to your Apple Watch. I'm wondering what about this is unique enough to be patented. These have been around for many years for a variety of products, albeit larger than is shown in the patent.

    https://gearward.com/products/watch-flashlight
    Yep, yet another garbage patent that should have been rejected for being obvious to the average village idiot, let alone someone "skilled in the art".
    williamlondonbyronlVictorMortimer
  • Reply 6 of 10
    MustSeeUHDTVMustSeeUHDTV Posts: 308member
    I can see this being useful on the Apple Watch Ultra because one of Ultra major selling points is for diving. Watch your diving levels and shine a light while you’re at it.
    edited December 2023 watto_cobraForumPost
  • Reply 7 of 10
    macguimacgui Posts: 2,416member
    I carry a small, but not that small, flashlight every day. It's generally not needed for work but it's often very handy in EDL. Often enough that I've needed it every time I've left it home even though when it's with me I need it less. Not cause and effect, just the odds.

    My Watch's flashlight is mapped to the Action button so it's handy but very floddy, short ranged and the Watch gets really warm quickly. Its use is short because I don't need to heat the battery. The flashlight isn't meant to be a primary feature.

    There's no getting around the bulk most any light would add to a Watch. A minor issue would be it hanging up a cuff. Being an Apple accessory it wouldn't be cheap. If it could be turned on and off with gestures it would be cost prohibitive but really cool.

    It will never see the light of day but if it did I'd at least check it out. The best flashlight is the one you have with you.
    williamlondonwatto_cobrabyronl
  • Reply 8 of 10
    VictorMortimerVictorMortimer Posts: 239
    darkvader said:
    Xed said:
    This is simply a small flashlight that attaches to your Apple Watch. I'm wondering what about this is unique enough to be patented. These have been around for many years for a variety of products, albeit larger than is shown in the patent.

    https://gearward.com/products/watch-flashlight
    Yep, yet another garbage patent that should have been rejected for being obvious to the average village idiot, let alone someone "skilled in the art".
    It's absolutely ridiculous that these keep happening.  This country is in desperate need of serious patent reform.  The default status for any patent should be a rejection.  And when it's something like this where there are actual already existing products that do the exact thing described in the patent, there needs to be a penalty for frivolous filing, and it needs to be big, in the millions of dollars for a company the size of Apple.
  • Reply 9 of 10
    AppleZuluAppleZulu Posts: 2,139member
    darkvader said:
    Xed said:
    This is simply a small flashlight that attaches to your Apple Watch. I'm wondering what about this is unique enough to be patented. These have been around for many years for a variety of products, albeit larger than is shown in the patent.

    https://gearward.com/products/watch-flashlight
    Yep, yet another garbage patent that should have been rejected for being obvious to the average village idiot, let alone someone "skilled in the art".
    It's absolutely ridiculous that these keep happening.  This country is in desperate need of serious patent reform.  The default status for any patent should be a rejection.  And when it's something like this where there are actual already existing products that do the exact thing described in the patent, there needs to be a penalty for frivolous filing, and it needs to be big, in the millions of dollars for a company the size of Apple.
    Two things. First, a cursory web search for “watch band flashlight” yields numerous examples, but I didn’t see anything this compact. It was mostly bulky stuff Batman wouldn’t even use. Second, if a more vigorous review yields a sufficiently similar existing device, especially one that has previously been patented, of course the new patent should be rejected. That’s how patent applications work. If not, then a compact watch band flashlight is perfectly appropriate to patent. A penalty for a “frivolous filing” is anathema to the purpose of the patent process, which is literally to have an independent party (the patent office) investigate and either verify or reject your claim that you have created something new or sufficiently different. While occasionally an entirely novel thing is invented, I would speculate that the vast majority of patents are issued to applicants who have merely built a better mouse trap. This item appears no different than that. 
    edited September 17 dewmeForumPost
  • Reply 10 of 10
    chasmchasm Posts: 3,511member
    I use the existing Apple Watch flashlight nearly every night -- my partner goes to be sleep before I do, so it's lights out in the bedroom. When I come to bed, I turn off all the lights in the rest of our place, and use the Watch flashlight to navigate down a dark hall so I don't bump into the bedroom door, or anything that might be obstructing the path to the bed. Very handy thing, not difficult to find.
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