KEY POINTS

  • A new Apple document reveals that the company is considering on equipping the future Apple Watch with a new technology related to drown detection
  • This new Apple Watch technology is capable of measuring and testing the water surrounding the watch
  • The new Apple Watch technology could call emergency services and might function like the Fall Detection app

Photos of the first-ever Apple Watch prototype surfaced online a few days ago. It underlined how far the Cupertino tech juggernaut has progressed since it introduced the first Apple wearable in the market. Apart from its ECG app that has saved many lives, future Apple Watch could soon serve as the user's personal lifeguard.

The latest Apple document was recently picked by Apple Insider online. It reveals the possibility of the Cupertino tech giant equipping future Apple Watches with the ability to detect water around the watch. While Apple Watches are water-resistant, the latest Apple patent reveals that it could be used to keep track of the amount of water around the watch to detect if the user is just walking under the rain of has fallen out of a boat.

Additionally, it appears that this is an intelligent technology that would cross-check with the user's calendar if he is indeed going to be in the water on that day. Filed under US Patent No 10,617,358, and titled "Portable electronic device as health companion," the Apple document describes a future Apple Watch that could detect and test the water.

Apple Tim Cook watch
Pictured: Apple CEO Tim Cook speaks about iWatch during Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) at the San Jose Convention Centerin San Jose, California on Monday, June 04, 2018. AFP/Getty Images/Josh Edelson

The advanced technology would figure out what kind of situation the user is in at the moment. For instance, the future Apple Watch could work our if the user is in saltwater or not. If the Apple Watch detects that the user is in slat water, it will utilize the location data to figure out the actual place the user is at.

It has the ability to sense if the user is in a body of water or it is in danger. If the Apple Watch senses that the user is in trouble, it would call emergency services on behalf of the user. While it is not yet clear what will happen next, there is a chance that this new technology would work in the same way as the Fall Detection tech functions.

It is worth noting that the Fall Detection app offers a 30-second countdown that allows the user to cancel emergency services calls after a certain time that the user was unable to move. But, like all other companies, Apple has a habit of filing patents with some of them not being able to enter into the production stage. In other words, this is just a patent, and Apple might and might not use it on its future Apple Watch.

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