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Apple Watch users would swear by the Digital Crown feature that allows them to navigate the watchOS interface effortlessly without having to touch the screen. But as a patent now reveals, Apple appears to be planning on ditching the entire thing in favor of optical sensors that would be fitted right where the crown currently resides.

The report comes from Patently Apple and describes a new patent from the Cupertino-based tech giant, published recently by the US Patent & Trademark Office. It is titled “Watch with optical sensor for user input” and shows how new sensors can be used to track user input, effectively doing away with the need for the Digital Crown, and as a result, reducing the number of moving parts in the smartwatch.

apple watch motion tracking optical sensor
Image: Patently Apple

Use cases include users operating the Apple Watch through gestures and motion alone. These gestures will be registered by the optical sensor and converted into inputs to control various stuff within watchOS.

Along with reducing moving parts and lessening the need for physically touching the watch to interact with it, optical sensors can also free up space — space that can then be utilized in other, better ways such as fitting in a larger battery or even additional sensors.

Last but not least, an optical sensor also opens up possibilities for measuring various other biometrics like heart rate, respiration rate, blood oxygenation level, blood volume estimate, and blood pressure.

Do keep in mind here though that all of the above is still currently just an idea limited to paper. Apple may even be developing it but it may take a while before it actually makes its way to a consumer Watch Series model.

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