A future Apple Watch could debut a glass frame with touch controls

A future Apple Watch could debut a touch-sensitive glass frame
The report comes from a Chinese leaker on Weibo
It appears to be based on an Apple patent published this week

Apple appears to be working on a future design upgrade to the Apple Watch that could see the company replace its chassis housing and physical buttons with a touch-sensitive glass frame, based on new reports.

The prospect of an Apple Watch with a glass frame and touch interaction has been floated on Chinese social media platform Weibo by leaker Instant Digital, specifically in the context that an all-glass Apple Watch could arrive before a rumored all-glass iPhone.

However, the timing of the leak and close proximity suggest this information has actually come from an Apple patent that published on March 27, first spotted by Patently Apple.

The patent, seen by TechRadar and creatively dubbed “wearable electronic device with glass shell” appears to indicate that Apple is considering a future where its best Apple Watch models have a glass shell and side wall with touch sensitivity, rather than a titanium or aluminum chassis.

Here’s what we know.

An all-glass Apple Watch future

apple glass watch patent

Patent images include touch buttons housed in the glass exterior. (Image credit: Apple / USPTO)

The patent refers to a wearable device with a glass shell encompassing both the Apple Watch display and “a side wall extending from the front wall.” Essentially, the front and sides of the watch would be made from glass.

Not only would this look pretty cool, but it would allow Apple to turn the side walls of the Apple Watch into a touch-sensitive, evolving display that could show information and receive touch inputs.

The benefit, of course, would be that the information and input could change based on the context. For instance, if you were running a stopwatch, touch buttons on the side could offer start and stop functions. Switch to music listening, and these buttons could display buttons for pausing or skipping tracks.

This is one possible iteration of a future Apple Watch that’s likely years away, though, so don’t expect an all-glass Apple Watch Ultra 3 or Series 11 in September.

Apple has also patented an Apple Watch with a folding, dual-display and cameras, and a recent report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman suggests that the company is considering adding cameras to the device to turn it into an AI-powered wearable that can contextualize the world around you.

To me, the idea of a more subtle design tweak with touch-sensitive glass seems a little more refined than jamming a camera into the Apple Watch, but there’s no reason Apple won’t do both at some stage.

Naturally, of course, there’s every chance this patent never sees the light of day, and remains an idea on paper only.

More immediately, we know that Apple is planning to add blood-pressure monitoring of some sort to its more premium 2025 models. Meanwhile, those awaiting the Apple Watch SE 3 can expect a pretty significant plastic redesign, which has been giving Apple some design headaches according to the latest reports.