Apple’s next line of smartwatches is expected to be a minor upgrade. Behind the scenes, though, the company is working on a revamped “Watch X” update for the device’s 10th anniversary, Bloomberg reported.
According to Bloomberg, we’re now able to map out Apple’s full line of future M3 chips based on app logs, and trademark listings confirm that the company considered the Reality Pro name for its headset.
Apple is planning a “Watch X” model to mark the device’s 10-year anniversary, and it promises to be the biggest overhaul yet. (The category was unveiled in 2014 and released the following year, so Apple is planning to launch a Watch X in either 2024 or 2025.)
With the X model, Apple designers are working on a thinner watch case and have explored changing the way the bands are attached to the device. The company has explored a new magnetic band attachment system, though it’s unclear if it will be ready or used in the Watch X revamp.
Even bigger changes are coming as well: a microLED display that tops the color and clarity of the current OLED screens, as well as a technology for monitoring blood pressure.
Cult of Mac reported that Apple is looking at a new watch band mechanism for the first time since the smartwatch launched. The existing system takes up a lot of space that could be better utilized by fitting in a bigger battery or other internal components. So, Apple has seemingly researched a magnetic band attachment. However, it is unclear whether it will be ready for the Watch X’s launch.
Regarding the potentially radical Apple Watch redesign, Apple did something similar with the iPhoneX launch in 2017. Released to celebrate the iPhone’s 10th anniversary, it brought a new design – the first without a Home Button – and other significant upgrades.
9to5 Mac reported that the Apple Watch X is scheduled to launch in 2024 or 2025, in line with the device’s 10th anniversary. The update will represent the biggest redesign of the Watch ever, following several years of minor changes (the Apple Watch Series 9 this fall will also be a minor spec bump generation).
The Verge reported that rumors have swirled around a brighter, more colorful microLED screen for the Apple Watch for months, but the screen technology is new and incredibly expensive. Apple has its work cut out for it when it comes to getting a shrunken-down, affordable version of the tech into its smallest-screen device.
The Verge also noted that Apple has reportedly been planning a blood pressure sensor for the Apple Watch for years, and that may come just in time for the 10-year anniversary of the wearable as well.
Personally, I tend to take these kinds of announcements as a “wait and see.” We won’t know for certain whether or not what has been written about Watch X turns out as reported. Apple could potentially surprise us with features yet unknown, or drop the project.