Apple Watch may sport wrap-around displays soon, new patent suggests

“The display module additionally includes a graphical user interface (GUI) manager, to control information displayed on the display substrate, where the display substrate includes a first display area associated with a face of the wearable electronic device and a second display area associated with a band of the wearable electronic device,” the patent description reads.

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The new version would lead to a big redesign of the Apple Watch, which may even include a spherical watch face. But Apple isn’t just considering the patent for smartwatches, the technology could also be incorporated into televisions.

“In accordance with embodiments of the invention the display module can be incorporated into a wearable electronic device, for example, a smartwatch. In such an embodiment, the display area of the display substrate spans a watch face and a band of the smartwatch. In another embodiment, the display substrate is secured to a spool. In such an embodiment, the spool can include the one or more driver circuits in electrical contact with the plurality of interconnects. In one application, the display module can be incorporated into a television,” the patent description reads.

In terms of design, Apple noted that the technology could allow “minimized” bezels around the display, which has so far been used as an effective way to improve the appearance of consumer electronics devices. Companies, including Apple itself, have been cutting down the bezel size on smartphones and laptops, in order to make them more aesthetically pleasing.