A future Apple Watch could debut a glass frame with touch controls

• A future Apple Watch could debut a touch-sensitive glass frame
• The report comes from a Chinese leaker on Weibo
• It appears to be based on an Apple patent published this week

Apple appears to be working on a future design upgrade to the Apple Watch that could see the company replace its chassis housing and physical buttons with a touch-sensitive glass frame, based on new reports.

The prospect of an Apple Watch with a glass frame and touch interaction has been floated on Chinese social media platform Weibo by leaker Instant Digital, specifically in the context that an all-glass Apple Watch could arrive before a rumored all-glass iPhone.

However, the timing of the leak and close proximity suggest this information has actually come from an Apple patent that published on March 27, first spotted by Patently Apple.

The patent, seen by TechRadar and creatively dubbed "wearable electronic ...