Future Apple Watch models could utilise NFC-encoded straps.
That would allow for personalisation and potentially even more.
While the recent launch of watchOS 26 may have promised added personalisation features, it may not be the only change coming to the platform. That's because a recently unveiled patent could completely revolutionise personalising your Apple Watch.
That showcases an NFC-aware Apple Watch band. In essence, that would allow the band to communicate with the watch head itself, to do things like change the dial when you swap out the bands.
As reported by MacObserver, the technology draws power from the watch itself, which should ensure it never needs a battery of its own. The design utilises a tiny tag, which snaps into place on a reader.
While there are an almost infinite number of possibilities with that technology, I'm most swayed by the prospect of personalisation. It's entirely feasible that each different strap could then trigger a corresponding watch face to appear, or even unlock faces which aren't available without the strap.
As someone who spends a lot of time testing the best luxury watches on the market, I think this idea is fantastic. The prospect of buying, for example, an Hermès watch strap and attaching it to unlock a specific suite of faces is fantastic to me.
Even a step removed from that – simply being able to marry a face to a particular strap – is a lovely idea. Changing your watch strap from, say, a sports band with a dive watch face to a leather strap with something classier is a really neat idea.
It's not just the personalisation which could be affected, though. The idea could also open the door to other, modular pieces of hardware.
Things like health tracking monitors, or even key fob access could be attached to a particular strap, allowing users to get into the office or a hotel room by simply uploading access data to their compatible watch strap.
There's no word on exactly when – or, indeed, if – this technology will hit the market. Still, it seems to be the way Apple is thinking, and I certainly hope we see something of this ilk soon.
