Malcolm Owen
Apple may be preparing a big refresh of the Apple Watch as early as 2024, a report claims, with changes to the design potentially reworking how bands are attached to the wearable device.
Apple is currently anticipated to bring out the Apple Watch Series 9 this fall, but rumors are already circulating about the next model along. For the "Apple Watch X," a milestone release, Apple may have something big planned for the product line.
Writing in the "Power On" newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman claims Apple is scheduling the Apple Watch X for launch sometime in 2024 or 2025. The theory is that it will be a celebration in line with the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch itself.
As part of the refresh, Apple will make a number of key changes, and will be a major update rather than smaller incremental changes that the device has gone through over a number of years.
The big change could be in a change to how bands attach to the Apple Watch body. Instead of fitting into slots, it is claimed that a magnetic system is being planned.
Sources supposedly involved in the development of the Apple Watch said that the existing slot system takes up a lot of space at either end of the body. This eats up a lot of internal space that could be used by other components, such as a larger battery.
Given that Gurman also says that a thinner overall design is also in the works, a change to a magnetic-based system would help designers fit as much as they can into the thinner body, by lengthening the available internal cavity.
The Apple Watch Series 9 updates, due this fall, is expected to largely consist of a performance bump, but Gurman has previously said that other hardware updates "will be anything but major."
Andrew Orr
Amber Neely
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
32 Comments
Sounds like the X of Elon Musk, did I say that??
If they call it X, I will sh*t. X is stupid, just like that idiot who called his company X. This isn’t 2000.
I just wish they would add a round version to their offering. Yes, I know square is better for displaying data but I do not usually read a lot of my watch...lol. Use it for quick bits of info which would fit perfectly fine on a round watch.