Apple’s future wearable could serve as both an Apple Watch and an AirTag

Apple could be working on a wearable that tracks it all.

Apple has issued a patent for a next-generation wearable device or “wearable loops” that could gather user information, including biometrics, ID, and medical data, and work as an input device.

The new type of wearable could be worn anywhere, on a user’s body, or attached to some other object. For flexibility, the device could be shaped like a band or string so that users could hang it or tie it up on themselves, an animal, or any object.

The device could be worn as jewelry on the wrist or neck, fixed to a pet’s collar, or attached to keys or a suitcase as a tracker.

The kind of information such loop-shaped wearables gather would also depend on the body they’re attached to. They could track location, activity information, identification, medical, or biometric data.

The device would also be capable of sensing what a user does, storing data, and even being used as a “visual marker” in virtual reality systems, reports Patently Apple.

The device could also include a fabric cord and a housing unit where sensors, display, communication, and wireless power circuitries would be stored.

The wearable’s visual output would include a status indicator or a display that sends user alerts, such as messages, images, status information, and more.

The patent reveals that the device would be chargeable via a charging case with wireless power transmitting circuitry.

While the document hints at another wearable, the shared information shows that if pursued, it could be a much more universal device that tracks not only human activity but also any kind of object.