The Apple Watch 7 and other future Apple Watch generations will have enhanced communication systems that could bring the Apple Watch closer to replacing the need for an iPhone

In a patent discovered by Apple Insider, Apple describes a smartwatch design that includes a phased antenna array that uses existing Apple Watch components The company appears to be researching ways to spread the communication antenna across multiple parts of the watch, including the housing and display

According to the patent, this system would allow the Apple Watch display to "act as an antenna for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, cellular frequencies, and/or other frequencies without incorporating bulky antenna structures"

The Apple Watch's current antenna arrangement is by no means flawed But even when we tested cellular Apple Watch models operating without an iPhone, we were hesitant to leave our smartphones at home

With improved frequency bandwidth, future Apple Watches could offer faster, less-intensive communications This could lead to improved battery efficiency Currently, the always-on display Apple Watch Series 6 lasts 18-24 hours on a single charge, but the battery drains faster when using cellular connectivity

This is not the first patent to propose an alternative to the current antenna system, and Apple is likely devoting resources to improving the way the Apple Watch communicates independently with other devices and satellites

However, the time to ditch the smartphone is unlikely to come soon; the Apple Watch 7 will introduce internal upgrades while the iPhone 13 is set to launch later this year Furthermore, this is just a patent, and there is no guarantee that Apple will adopt this antenna system or any version of it in future watches