Apple could make buying the wrong size Apple Watch a thing of the past with this futuristic invention

(Image credit: Future)

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Apple has patented a new way to buy the Apple Watch
It has developed a system that can measure your wrists when you visit a store
It features depth mapping and sensors that could also be used at home

Apple might be about to take the guesswork out of sizing an Apple Watch with a new invention that could measure your wrists in-store to determine what size is right for you.

Buying the best Apple Watch, including the Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch SE 2, involves a series of crucial choices that you can't go back on after your purchase. You need to choose a color, case size, and connectivity (LTE or WiFi only), but one oft-overlooked decision is band size. With little to no reference point, choosing the right band size for your Apple Watch is difficult.

Apple has filed a patent for a system that would let customers in Apple Stores measure their wrists with touchless technology, to determine which band size is right for them.

Spotted by PatentlyApple, the new filing is dubbed Touchless Wrist Measurement. The patent refers to electronic devices "that perform touchless wrist measurement," determining wrist measurement or watch band size using depth data captured by a sensor.

A new way to buy Apple Watch

Apple watch measuring pattern — (Image credit: Apple / USPTO)

Images from the patent and the descriptions reveal a customer standing at a retail fixture in a store taking part in a touchless measuring test. Specifically, it says that in some cases the technology could be used "by a trained technician in a brick and mortar retail store." However, the patent also notes that the test could be performed "by an individual using an electronic device like a smartphone," at home.

As such, Apple looks to be planning a system that could take some of the guesswork out of buying an Apple Watch or one of the best Apple Watch bands. Many offerings including the popular Sport Band and Solo Loop options require you to pick a size at purchase, which can be tricky if you've never considered the circumference of your wrist in millimeters.

In-store or at home on one of the best iPhones, a wrist-scanning feature could make buying an Apple Watch even easier, and eliminate the risk that you wind up with the wrong size.

Of course, this is just an idea on paper right now, so there's no guarantee Apple will introduce this feature in time for September and the rumored new Apple Watch Ultra 3, Apple Watch SE 3, and Apple Watch Series 11. All three models are expected to debut alongside iPhone 17 later this year. Hopefully, you'll one day be able to buy an Apple Watch using a futuristic scanner, rather than Apple's paper cut-out band sizing tool.

Stephen Warwick is TechRadar's Fitness & Wearables writer with nearly a decade of experience covering technology, including five years as the News Editor of iMore. He's a keen fitness enthusiast and is never far from the local gym, Apple Watch at the ready, to record his latest workout. Stephen has experience writing about every facet of technology including products, services, hardware, and software. He's covered breaking news and developing stories regarding supply chains, patents and litigation, competition, politics and lobbying, the environment, and more. He's conducted interviews with industry experts in a range of fields including finance, litigation, security, and more. Outside of work, he's a massive tech and history buff with a passion for Rome Total War, reading, and music.