The Apple Watch may get blow-activated functionality, according to a newly-discovered Apple patent. It’s already possible to answer calls without grabbing one’s iPhone thanks to the Apple Watch, which offers the ability to answer or reject a call simply by tapping the wrist wearable. This new patent, however, suggests a completely different take on hands-free calling.
Apple has built plenty of different ways to communicate through its Apple Watch over the years. In addition to being able to see messages and notifications from their watch face, users can answer and carry out calls straight from their wrist. Apple has even built in a handy Walkie-Talkie feature that lets users exchange instant voice messages to more easily keep a running dialogue.
First reported by Apple Insider, Apple has filed a patent application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for “systems, methods, and computer-readable media for detecting blow events with an electronic device.” The patent provides the framework for an unspecified device that will have built-in sensors for identifying when a user is blowing on it, and even suggests that different levels of blowing will be able to trigger different commands on the device. While the Apple Watch seems like the most applicable device in Apple’s arsenal, the patent leaves the possibility open that Apple may implement the technology with its iPhones as well.
Apple’s blow-sensing technology seems like an intricately planned April Fool’s joke, but the patent was filed a year ago. Even though many tech companies have experimented with things like air-gesture detecting technology for things like true wireless earbuds, the concept of blowing on a piece of tech to trigger a certain function frankly seems bizarre. It is conceivable to believe that blowing on an Apple Watch to answer a call may actually come in handy. It just seems like those situations won’t reveal themselves all that often.
If, say, a person is carrying a load of groceries into their home and receives a call while their hands are full, they could potentially raise their wrist and blow on it to answer. That is a very real, everyday use case that could happen to many Apple Watch users. The thing is, Apple Watches already have Siri functionality, meaning users could achieve the same goal simply by asking Siri to answer (or reject) the call.
To get the idea of blowing on an iPhone or Apple Watch to catch on, Apple would need to convince its fan base that it is easier and more convenient than asking Siri. The technology isn’t even here yet, and it could turn out to be a revolutionary way to interact with mobile and wearable devices. Currently, though, it seems like a far-fetched idea by Apple.
