New patent may turn next Apple Watch into a personal lifeguard

While we all love the Apple Watch and acknowledge its design prowess, Series 5 brought little to the table in terms of upgrades. Things might change in the next iteration of the wearable, as rumors of new features like panic attack detection and underwater screen functionality are already piling up.

A new patent filed by Apple may add another set of exciting features to the next-gen Apple Watch, AppleInsider reports. The document is titled "Portable Electronic Device as Health Companion," and published by the USPTO on April 14. One of the key features, described in the patent files, is "water amount" and "water properties" detection.


The smart gadget envisioned in the patent will be able to sense if the user is underwater and combine this information with other data like body vitals and geolocation to determine the nature of the situation. If the water pressure is high enough and there are abnormalities in the heart rate, the wearable can send a notification to emergency services. In other words, the next-gen Apple Watch may be able to sense if you're drowning and call for help.

Other scenarios may trigger the use of different sensors that can determine the properties of the water - temperature or presence of harmful substances - and alert the user or send another SOS message. These features sound exciting and novel, but it's worth mentioning that companies file thousands of patents every year, and very few make it to final products. Nevertheless, turning the next Apple Watch into a personal lifeguard is a cool idea that can breathe new life in the series.