An Apple Watch prototype was shared recently on Twitter that has revealed an extra functionality that could’ve been added to the smartwatch lineup, however it never saw the light of day. The extra port on the bottom of the device would’ve allow the connection of a “smart band”, that could’ve add a new sensor to the watch.

Every single Apple Watch series so far has come with a hidden port that was used internally by Apple’s employees to test the device. This Series 3 watch however comes with two additional ports.

9to5Mac was able to reach out to Zompetti and get a few more details of the prototype device. According to him, Apple was experimenting and working on a special sensor that would’ve added blood pressure monitoring to the Apple Watch, however this could only be achieved through a “smart band”. Sadly, the prototype isn’t fully functional and its known how that feature could work exactly in real practice.

Apple might have experimented on some “smart bands” in earlier revisions of Apple Watch S3.

On this prototype unit, two unusual pads are exposed to the band, as a sort of “Smart Connector” we’ve already seen on iPads.#AppleCollection #AppleWatch pic.twitter.com/uVFZHuvuAe

— Giulio Zompetti (@1nsane_dev) June 24, 2021

This seems to align with a patent that was submitted by Apple, and revealed in 2017. When the Series 3 Apple Watch was announced in the same year, it came with a blood pressure system that was possible thanks to a sensor built-in to the watch itself. The prototype was likely used for testing only, but it does make us wonder whether a “smart band” could be a potential new accessory to the Apple Watch lineup, or potentially to an Apple Watch Pro lineup, since Apple seems to really like using it in recent years. Of course, this is all just speculation for now and playing with the idea.

What are your thoughts about the mystery port on the Series 3 Apple Watch? Would you buy a smartwatch with a band that could add extra functionality, perhaps a longer battery life? Let us know in the comments!