With Apple’s WWDC 2024 event in the rearview mirror, the rumor mill has turned its attention to the Cupertino-based company’s Apple Watch. According to an Apple insider, the company feels it is time for the iconic Apple Watch to go big, while simultaneously slimming down for its 10th birthday.
The Apple Watch has been a staple wearable for many Apple fans for nearly a decade. Preorders for the original Apple smartwatch began on April 10, 2015, with the official release date on April 24. While the watch has since added new features and functions, it has seen little change in terms of design. With Apple getting ready to celebrate 10 years of making the Apple Watch, it seems the design will only see a couple of tweaks, including a larger watch face on the non-Ultra models, and a thinner case.
The news comes from Apple insider Mark Gurman, who also stated Apple Watch fans need not be in a hurry for Apple Intelligence to make its way to the smartwatch. While the Series 10 will get the successor to the S9 chip, it apparently will only “lay the groundwork for some AI enhancements down the road,” and will not run Apple Intelligence. Gurman added Apple currently has no plans to bring “the full initiative” of Apple Intelligence to the Apple Watch.
Apple is also purportedly running into a few hiccups with two features it had hoped to bring to the Series 10: sleep apnea and hypertension detection features. During testing, the hypertension feature has been unreliable, and there are concerns over integrating it into the new design. The sleep apnea detection feature is currently being held up because it requires the smartwatch to measure a wearer’s blood oxygen saturation level, and Apple is still in a dispute with Masimo over a blood oxygen sensor patent infringement.
For those that don’t need all the bells and whistles on a smartwatch, Apple is also said to be planning a cheaper version of its Apple Watch SE. If true, it is most likely to challenge the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE, which is priced at around $200. An Apple Watch Ultra 3 is also said to be in the works, and while it will receive the updated S10 chip, it probably won’t see any change in design.