Malcolm Owen
Apple's update to the Apple Watch Series 8 lineup is widely expected to include a new Apple Watch Pro model, with new rumors claiming it will have a flat screen and an updated exterior design.
Numerous reports have proclaimed the arrival of a new Apple Watch model this fall, with an Apple Watch Pro joining an update to the Apple Watch Series 8 and the ongoing Apple Watch SE. The new model, believed to be the Apple Watch Pro, is expected to be bigger and more rugged than the rest, and is intended for more active users.
In a Saturday post by Macotakara, a roundup of rumors says the new Pro model will be bigger by 7% than the largest normal Apple Watch model. One cited report mentions the use of a 1.99-inch display.
An evolution of the current rectangular shape with a "less rounded design" is also anticipated, including a flat display.
Report sources in China mentions how the iPhone launch in 2017 involved "one more thing," and that a similar trick could be pulled for the Apple Watch. The same sources declare the use of a flat display in the model, complete with a metal casing "like the iPhone 13 Pro," and that it will only be available in a 47mm size.
Previous reporting on the so-called Apple Watch Pro include the use of an all-new design with the use of titanium for strength, as well as a big refresh to the appearance. However, other leaks from early August mention how the Apple Watch Series 8 lineup won't benefit from a major redesign.
Other rumors about the Pro model includes a $900 price tag, body temperature measurements, and an updated S8 chip that won't provide significant speed benefits to users over the Apple Watch Series 7.
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11 Comments
Speed benefits are sort of moot IMO, I can’t remember the last time I thought anything ran too slowly on AW. Efficiency improvements of energy consumption are always welcome, however. That’s what I would be looking for in future chip iterations, not speed.
Will the Apple Watch SE be getting a refresh too this year?
I'm really curious to see what Apple will be touting for the Watch Pro, especially if it's at the rumored $1,000 price point. A titanium case and sapphire crystal are not new to the Watch lineup, so they're a yawn. The refreshed design *could* be nice, we'll have to see in person, but with the Watch long overdue for a design refresh, it will suck if that refresh is limited to the $1K price point. The Watch does so many things really well right now, I'm not sure what new capabilities Apple may have up its sleeve that make sense for a screen this small. The push towards reading "body data" is very smart, but also very limited by the capabilities of sensors trying to read that data from the wrist. I think advancements in that area will come slowly, especially in the realm of accuracy. Case in point: the Watch currently has a pulse oximeter sensor, but the readings are a total joke when compared against the medical grade oximeter I have at home. In fact, the oximeter reading I get from my Watch is usually low enough to warrant a trip to a hospital emergency room IF it were accurate... but it's not.
I really like the look of the current Watch. I never understood design changes just for the sake of change.