An Apple patent filed in 2018 and recently made available to the public shows that the company may be developing a replacement for the Digital Crown on the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8.
The Digital Crown is the dial on the side of Apple Watches that allows for navigation without touching the watch screen. It has been a feature on every Apple Watch series since launch. And frankly, we can’t imagine life without it.
Instead of the Digital Crown, the patent shows blueprints for optical sensors on the side of the watch, which would allow for gesture controls rather than physical contact. Presumably, the user could swipe or make other finger gestures on the sensor instead of the screen, and that would move through navigation on the screen.
