6 reasons Apple should add a camera to the Apple Watch

The Apple Watch is a smartwatch that seemingly has it all. It is the best smartwatch for iPhone. You can track workouts and monitor health metrics, receive notifications from a connected phone, access apps, pay for items using Apple Wallet, and more. There’s so much you probably didn’t know Apple Watch can do. But it falls short in one respect. While the smartwatch allows you to access photos and even trigger your iPhone camera and shutter remotely, the smartwatch doesn’t have a camera itself. This would be a useful feature for many reasons.

1 FaceTime calling

Add live video to the audio

You can make and receive FaceTime calls directly from an Apple Watch, as long as you have a Cellular model with a data plan or you’re within range of your connected iPhone. But this is limited to FaceTime Audio, not Video. With a camera, you’d be able to hold your wrist up to your face and chat with someone on the go while they can see you. This adds another element to a call, much like it already does when using FaceTime Video on an iPhone, iPad, MacBook, or even Apple TV.

2 Take quick snapshots

Never miss a photo opportunity

Have you ever been in a situation where you realize there’s a great photo opportunity right in front of you, but you miss the split second moment while fumbling to grab and unlock your phone? Much like smart glasses with built-in cameras, having a built-in camera in Apple Watch would allow you to capture these otherwise missed moments on-the-fly. Think an adorable squirrel that creeps up beside you, a beautiful bird or butterfly that perches on the porch, a beautiful sunrise, your toddler taking their first steps, or a home run your kid just hit at his baseball game. While the photos wouldn’t be ultra-high resolution (most smartwatch cameras are lower-resolution), it’s better than nothing.

3 Add personality to messages

Reply with your visage

You can send and reply to messages right from the Apple Watch. This is useful for quick replies like “on my way!” or “can I call you later?” A quick selfie to go along with these could add some personality. Imagine sending a photo of you wearing earbuds while walking in the sunshine to meet a friend at the local café (maybe you already there waiting patiently for them), or a pic of your toddler having a tantrum to add context so your spouse understands why you can’t reply in detail nor answer your phone right now.

Use this along with features like check-in

Apple integrates tons of safety features into Apple Watch, including the ability to contact emergency services, add emergency contacts, fall and car crash detection, and check-in to notify friends and family members when you have arrived safely at a destination. Adding a camera to Apple Watch could be another safety tool. Maybe you aren’t in imminent danger, but something doesn’t feel right. Snap and send a quick pic to someone of a nearby landmark or street sign, further solidifying your exact location if GPS tracking doesn’t provide more specifics and something terrible happens.

5 More secure payments

Add facial ID to the equation

Currently, Apple Watch can be seamlessly used to pay for items at compatible contactless payment terminals, which are widely available at retail. Double tap and hold it near the reader to complete a payment instantly. Apple Wallet has tons of security features, but adding second, even third, layers of security makes sense. Already, you need Face ID or a passcode to pay for items in Apple Wallet using your iPhone. Having a camera pop up to identify your face to confirm it’s you trying to buy groceries or a new pair of Jordans makes using the Watch for purchases even more secure. Further, the Face ID on Apple Watch could be used to unlock other devices.

6 Live streaming

Record content on the go

Content creators are a big part of society today and many record on the go using smartphones or connected products like the DJI Osmo Pocket 3, my absolute favorite device for content capture and creation. For on-the-fly recordings, like videos while you tour a location or walk down the street, live events, fun videos of the kids, or your dog at the local park, there’s the ability to create so much more if you could hold your arm out and record from your Apple Watch. With the option to instantly share via social media, or save to internal storage for later upload, the feature could be a game-changer for live streamers.

An Apple Watch camera could be coming

Apple applied for a patent

Pocket-lint

There’s hope that Apple Watch might eventually get a camera. According to Apple Insider, the company filed for a patent for a Watch with a camera fitted above its display. The protrusion aims to be subtle without impacting comfort or making it distracting. The assembly, reads Apple’s patent application, may be “integrated into the wearable electronic device in a way so as to minimize an effect of the digital camera assembly on the other electronic components and/or a form factor of the wearable electronic device.”

The patent was filed in early 2023 so there’s no word on whether we might see such an integration in the rumored Apple Watch Series 10, an even future down the line iteration of the smartwatch, or a new product altogether. Knowing Apple, the company won’t integrate a camera into Apple Watch until it’s high-quality, able to support at least HD video and high-res photos. Nonetheless, the feature is something Apple fans could make use of in so many logical ways.

For now, Apple Watch is a handy camera accessory that works seamlessly with your iPhone, making it simple to take selfies, group photos, and more on a timer that save to your iPhone. If synced, you’ll also be able to see them on the Apple Watch after capture and even send them in text conversations. You just can’t actually take the photos from the Watch itself. If you’re determined to use the Watch as a camera right now, there are third-party accessories you can consider, like the Wristcam replacement watch band for Apple Watch that has its own built-in camera.