A leaked patent application recently revealed details about Apple’s plans for its smartwatches. The patent indicates the Cupertino company has given serious consideration to including a camera on the Apple Watch.

It was awarded a patent (US-11571048-B1) for developing an Apple Watch strap release mechanism that could be used with a built-in camera.

This patent describes a strap that has two segments and a nest section that makes it easy to remove a watch from the strap. With this mechanism, users will be able to capture photos with the Apple Watch’s built-in camera in new ways.

The patent includes drawings that show how to take a photograph with a strap-less watch, along with an illustration of the Apple Watch’s bottom-facing camera and its field of view. To capture an image, the user would just remove their watch, hold up the camera portion, and take the picture.

In the past, Apple has examined many camera-related design patents for the Apple Watch. Last year, they were awarded a patent for a camera embedded in the digital crown. There was also a patent in 2019 which was for a rotatable camera located at the end of a band.

This most recent patent is part of an ongoing exploration into possible camera choices for the Apple Watch. A related product, called Wristcam, is already accessible as an aftermarket accessory for this device.

Apple is known for introducing fresh, inventive designs and features in its watch lines. Examining the Apple Watch series 7 and 8 side by side reveals noteworthy differences regarding design, capabilities, and other elements.