LG wants to patent a smartwatch that acts like a 90’s slap bracelet [Slapwatch]

Over the next few months, we fully expect every major hardware manufacturer to enter into the wearable market at some point or another. Maybe that’s why we weren’t a bit surprised to find an LG patent for a hypothetical smartwatch. While yet another smartwatch might not sound too intriguing, it’s LG’s design that really grabbed our attention.

Remember those old slap bracelets of yore? The ones that were all the rage in the early 90’s? Well, it appears LG could be trying to bring them back with their latest smartwatch concept. The patent application shows an everyday smartwatch that attaches to the user by wrapping around the wrist. We’ll assume for now it’s using their flexible OLED tech in the display, but that hasn’t been confirmed. When not being worn, the watch can be fully extended to act as a capacitive stylus, or rather a smartstylus, possibly the world’s first (but don’t quote us on that). An interesting mix of nostalgia and modern day wearables.

Filed back in February of last year, there’s no telling if LG’s smartstylus will ever see the light of day. It’s possible LG felt it too silly, and adopted a more traditional model, one we’ve seen in the upcoming LG Lifeband Touch. Only LG knows for sure.

[USPTO | via Unwired View]