Depending on which watch face you use on your Apple Watch right now, you could very well have a lot of different data points staring back at you. But, with the newest version of the smartwatch coming down the pike, it sounds like Apple’s figured out a way to give us even more. More screen real estate and more data.
That’s according to a report today from Bloomberg, which aims to corroborate other reports circulating recently that Apple has managed to cram more screen real estate into the upcoming Apple Watch Series 7. That’s not an official name, by the way, but it does seem to be the safe bet right now — until Apple proves us all wrong, that is.
As for the watch itself, the report says the new smartwatch will have 16 percent more screen compared to the current Apple Watch Series 6. To get there, Apple has drastically reduced the size of the screen bezels — a rumor we’ve heard quite a few times over the last several months.
The report says the Apple Watch Series 7 will introduce two new case sizes to the mix: 41mm and 45mm, up from 40mm and 44mm in the current series models. With the larger case size, the newest Apple Watch will have a screen size that measures in at 1.9 inches diagonally. That’s almost two inches! (That’s up from 1.78 inches in the current largest model, mind.) The screen resolution will also see an uptick, up from 368 x 448 to 396 x 484.
Bloomberg‘s report doesn’t give us size comparisons for the smaller 41mm, but does say it will see size increases just like the larger model when compared to the 40mm variant it will be replacing.
To take advantage of those bigger faces, Apple is apparently developing several new watch faces, too. Here are the bullet points:
- A new face, dubbed Modular Max, will show the time digitally alongside one small complication — showing information like the day of the week, outside temperature or quick access to an app — with larger complications that span the length of the screen stacked on top of each other below. That’s an upgrade from the current Infograph Modular, which can show only one large complication.
- A face dubbed Continuum will change based on the flow of time and the current hour.
- A world time watch face — called Atlas and World Timer internally — will let a user see all 24 time zones simultaneously. An external dial shows the time zones, while the inner dial shows the time in each location. Users will be able to choose to see the time in either digital or analog. This watch face is similar to ones popularized by Patek Philippe, Breitling and Vacheron Constantin.
- Apple is also working on new faces for its Hermes and Nike-branded Apple Watches. The Hermes version has numbers that change hour by hour, while a new Nike face features numbers that move based on a person’s motion.
The report also states the new smartwatch lineup will boast a faster, more capable S7 processor under the hood, and flat edges. While the device reportedly hit some production delays, it’s still expected to be unveiled sooner rather than later.
Finally, the report says Apple is going to introduce a new Apple Watch SE model, but no specific launch date.