Future Apple Watch bands could change colour to match your style

Get ready to go full chameleon with an Apple Watch that matches your outfit and gives you notifications

Apple Watch SE 2022
(Image credit: Apple)

Apple Watch owners will be all too familiar with the brands' proprietary watch bands. Love them for their ingenuity, or hate them for their inability to pair with other watches in you collection, they're undeniably a integral part of what makes the ever-popular smartwatch tick.

But have you ever wished your Apple Watch band could change colour to suit a particular outfit? Well, that could be on the cards, according to a patent filed by the company.

Made to sound like something halfway between a chameleon and a mood ring, the patent describes a band which can change colour both for fashion and to give information to the user. It uses "electrochromic features" which can be made to change colour when a voltage is applied.

As with all patents, don't bank on this coming to market anytime soon. Companies – particularly big players like Apple – will often patent all kinds of technologies, with no guarantee of them ever seeing the light of day.

I certainly hope this one does, though. Being able to manipulate the appearance of your watch strap on the fly is an appealing concept, which could make it easier than ever to personalise your device. Add in a smattering of useful notifications-based goodness and you've got the recipe for a neat upgrade.

Sam Cross
Senior Staff Writer

Sam is an award-winning journalist with over six years of experience across print and digital media. As T3’s Senior Staff Writer, Sam covers everything from new phones and EVs to luxury watches and fragrances. Working across a range of different social media platforms alongside his written work, Sam is a familiar face for fans of T3. When he’s not reviewing snazzy products or hunting for stellar deals, Sam enjoys football, analog photography and writing music.