Apple's rumored iWatch is basically a slap bracelet

Apple Insider discovered a patent filing for what appears to be the rumored iWatch. The filing is for a "bi-stable spring with flexible display" that "allows the accessory device to be easily worn in a number of convenient locations." Unlike previous rumors suggesting that the watch ran an operating system all its own, this new evidence paints the gadget as something that will connect to an external device — like an iPhone — over a wireless protocol like Bluetooth.

The display isn't confined to a square or circular watch face. Rather, the iWatch's screen runs lengthwise down the entirety of the bracelet. The device appears to use built-in accelerometers and gyroscopes to orient displayed data — say, the time — in the general direction of the user's eyeballs, no matter where your arm is relative to their head.

But the most interesting revelation from the patent filing might be how you put the thing on. Here's what the patent, which was filed in August 2011, says about the spring mechanism:

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

So... Apple's rumored iWatch might be a slap bracelet. Earlier today, it was reported that Google has tapped the style geniuses at Warby Parker for help designing its glasses. In other words, the future of wearable computing, ladies and gentlemen, is starting to look like a bad caricature of Williamsburg circa 2010.