One of the groundbreaking innovations on the Apple Watch was the Digital Crown, which applied modern scrolling and switching mechanics to the classic analogue crown design. And it might now be heading to the iPhone and iPad.
In two new patents submitted by Apple to the US Patent and Trademark Office, diagrams show a ‘rotary device’ on the devices. In more detail, it describes the inclusion of haptic feedback, like in 3D Touch enabled devices, and the new digital Home button on the iPhone 7. It means that pushing the crown would provide a software-simulated feedback vibration.
In this regard it would differ from the crown on the Watch, which doesn’t provide feedback.
The patents also note a 3-axis area of movement on the crown which would open up interactive potential on Apple devices.
Intriguing, no doubt. But whether it’ll come true is anyone’s guess – Apple frequently submits patents with new ideas that only sporadically come to fruition.