The new "Apple Watch Series 7" models are growing, following the same pattern that the iPhone has. But, it's not quite for the same reasons.
Credit: Andrew O'Hara, AppleInsider
Recent rumors and leaks have suggested that the "Apple Watch Series 7" could receive a slight size increase along with a redesign, expanded health features, and other new updates. These changes include a rumor that the Apple Watch will be arriving in 41mm and 45mm sizes, indicating the new models will be a little bigger than previous versions.
The size claims don't necessarily mean the upcoming Apple Watch is going to go the way of the iPhone, becoming unwieldy for users with smaller hands. While growth could occur, it may not necessarily have that much of an impact on the Apple Watch's overall size, at least not to the level of the iPhone's changes.
iPhone growth over the years
Smartphones have only gotten bigger since their inception over a decade ago, when the first wave consisted of relatively compact devices with small screens. As time marched on, smartphones in general have grown in size, providing more screen space for their users, while staying reasonably thin.
This phenomenon isn't just limited to Android devices, as it has keenly been observed in the iPhone range.
The original iPhone measured 4.5 inches tall by 2.4 inches wide, and 0.46 inches thick. While certainly not as svelte as current-generation models, the first iPhone is still much smaller than current-generation models.
The 2020 flagship model iPhone 12 measures 5.78 inches by 2.81 inches by 0.29 inches.
The heights and widths of iPhones certainly have grown over the years.
As a percentage, that means the iPhone 12 is over 28% taller and 17.5% wider than the first-generation device. It's not all bad, as the latest iPhone is less than two-thirds the thickness of the first.
Examining the main releases of each year and ignoring Max or Mini-style models, the iPhone stayed at around 4.5 inches in length for quite some time, before jumping an inch to 5.44 inches from the iPhone 6 onwards. The next serious length jump was from the 5.65 inches of the iPhone XS to the 5.94 inches of the iPhone 11.
The width hasn't undergone as much in the way of changes, going from 2.4 inches down to 2.31 inches for the iPhone 4, then growing again to 2.98 at its maximum for the iPhone 11.
These numbers may not sound like much, but they certainly make a difference in the hand. While many people prefer larger screens -- hence the popularity of larger phones -- it's hard to argue that some devices have become a bit too big for users with smaller hands.
The width hasn't massively changed on paper, as there's only really a half an inch difference. However, that change is just enough for users to notice, especially since width matters a lot more when trying to wrap your fingers around the edge of mobile devices to keep it secure.
The iPhone 12 mini is the smallest model currently sold, but it's still much bigger than early iPhone versions.
Granted, the analysis so far has looked at the medium-sized main release models, but when expanded to other variants, size is still a problem.
The iPhone 12 mini, the current smallest iPhone Apple sells, is 5.18 inches tall, 2.53 inches wide, and 0.29 inches deep. Despite having "mini" in the name, it's still taller and wider than all iPhones released before the iPhone 6.
The iPhone 12 mini is 15% taller than the first-generation iPhone, 5% wider, and again two thirds the thickness.
At the other end of the size spectrum is the iPhone 12 Pro Max, at 6.33 inches tall, 3.07 inches wide, and 0.29 inches deep. That's a mammoth 40.6% increase in size from the original iPhone in height, while the 27.9% gain in width makes it much harder to handle.
Evidently, the trend for larger iPhones is set to continue for a long while yet, even for smaller models.
Apple Watch Sizing
Luckily, there are some indications that the "Apple Watch Series 7" won't end up as a bulky and overly large watch.
For one, the size difference between the current Apple Watch Series 6 and the new models is said to be 1mm. The case sizes will go from 44mm and 40mm options, as seen in the Apple Watch Series 6, to 45mm and 41mm.
For reference, 1mm is about the size of a sharpened pencil point.
If you own an Apple Watch now, you can probably look down at it and imagine how little bulk will be added by a 1mm size difference. It's likely that, if you undertook that exercise to imagine a 1mm increase in size, you'd think that it's a tiny increase overall.
Another way to imagine the potential impact is how Apple jumped the sizes it offered from the Apple Watch Series 3, which was the last version to be available in 42mm and 38mm case sizes.
At the launch of the Apple Watch Series 4, the size increase was seen in the display, which got proportionately bigger compared to the Series 3's screen. Opinions at the time claimed the larger screens were welcomed, and that Apple had done so without making the Apple Watch feel cumbersome.
What's more likely is that the "Apple Watch Series 7" will get about a 1mm screen size bump from its new squared-off form factor. It might be roughly the same size and weight, but have a squarer form and a smaller screen bezel.
Additionally, leaks have claimed that the "Apple Watch Series 7" will be compatible with previous model watch bands. That suggests no major changes to its actual footprint, nor how bulky it will be on your wrist. It may feature a redesign, but it probably won't be massive.
Not a heavy weight
Apple only increases the dimensions if it really has to, such as to improve other features -- or by market demand.
For example, Apple's height and width bump for the iPhone X from the previous model was driven by using a considerably larger display. Sure, Apple could have constrained the new screen's size down to make the iPhone X the same size as its predecessor, but Apple thought the slight increase in screen estate warranted the physical growth.
It's worth taking into account the use cases of the iPhone and Apple Watch, as they are carried, stored, and used in completely different ways. The iPhone is certainly an in-the-hands device, designed for interactivity, but it's also stored in a pocket or bag when temporarily not in use.
By contrast, the Apple Watch is an ever-present device that needs to be reasonably compact, so Apple can't really get away with making a version that's perceived as too big for users to actually wear. Add in the relatively limited ways of interacting with the Apple Watch versus an iPhone, and there's fewer reasons for Apple to supersize the wearable device.
Of course, this is all speculation, and nobody outside of the spaceship knows for sure what Apple will be introducing in its fall event lineup. Though, for those concerned that Apple Watches will follow in the footsteps of the iPhone and become bigger every year, there are certainly some signs that this won't be the case.