The Apple Watch has a port that could be used for ‘smart straps’ in the future

BY Evan Selleck

Published 5 Mar 2015

image Apple Watch Lightning port

There’s still a lot about the Apple Watch that we don’t know, including just how much the variants are going to cost, and now a new report is sure to add plenty of room for more speculation.

The report was initially published by TechCrunch, and suggests that Apple’s accessories plans for the Apple Watch could expand beyond just having some fancy, shiny straps for the wearable, but could actually get a lot smarter. According to the report, there’s a port on the Watch, one of of the two sides near where the straps lock into the main body, that’s going to be utilized to bring “smart straps” to the Watch.

The reason I ask is that the Apple Watch has a port that the company has yet to show off. It’s being used for diagnostics and direct access to the Watch operating system, but it’s feasible that could be used to connect accessories in the future.

That port, according to a follow-up report from 9to5Mac, is actually a Lightning port that’s being used for development purposes, but that won’t be included in the Apple Watch that is shipped to customers in April. In the original report, it’s stated that while the port could very well mean some kind of differentiating accessories at some point in the future, there’s no confirmation that it will ship anytime soon — or even with the first version of the Apple Watch for that matter.

Indeed, the Watch has been designed to Apple’s expectations, and every decision has been decided on with the future in mind. This is one of Apple’s most distinguished products in quite some time, and there’s no doubt that Apple wants it to last for the foreseeable future. What that port means right now may just be for development purposes, but some day it could lead to some exciting bands.

[via 9to5Mac; TechCrunch]