Apple Watch could soon be watching you!

Recent reports point to a new patent acquired by Apple, in the past 30 days, which hints to possible integration of biometric ID technology into the Apple Watch 2.

The patent, according to sources, while it’s not part of the portfolio recently purchased from biometrics technology manufacturer Privaris, could be the result of research conducted by Apple, on Privaris’ portfolio.

Should the reports be conclusive, the Apple Watch 2 could incorporate features such as face recognition, iris recognition, and even plethysmography, which is the process of detecting variations in volume of human organs based on blood flow, by means of infrared sensors capable of comparing the information with those stored in the device.

This could allow greater accuracy in recognizing a user. The scope of the application is quite broad, ranging from device unlocking, to authorizing purchases.

Beyond Touch-ID

It’s unlikely that Apple will replace Touch-ID altogether, however Apple has been reserving the right to enhance and modify many of its products, and in some cases, merging some of them, at least on paper, according to the latest reports on a possible fusion between the MacBook’s trackpad and the keyboard itself.

Implementing a larger array of biometric options to Touch-ID, could mean that the Apple Watch 2, granted a formal word on the implementation, could become a test platform, for more authentication options Apple could provide to consumers.

Communication between two Apple Watch 2 devices would likely be handled differently than across different devices, for instance between the Apple Watch and the iPhone, or a Mac device, where biometric technology could be used as a different take to two-factor authentication, using biometric data recognition, instead of relying on a text message to a trusted number.