Apple’s upcoming Apple Watch Pro model should bring the first significant redesign to the company’s smartwatch line in years, but don’t expect a squared-off look.
- Apple may launch a new smartwatch model for extreme athletes this fall, dubbed by the press “Apple Watch Pro,” featuring a seven percent larger display, a more durable casing, a much longer-lasting battery and several other perks.
- The device should still be circular, with a shape that’s described as an evolution of the current rectangular design but no flat edges, as previously rumored.
- The arrival of this rugged watch should bring the first significant redesign to the Apple smartwatch since 2018’s Apple Watch Series 4.
Apple Watch Pro won’t have those rumored flat sides
Reliable Apple reporter Mark Gurman laid out his expectations for this year’s Apple Watch refresh in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter on Bloomberg. The upcoming release of the Apple Watch Series 8 and other models is “shaping up to be one of the company’s more exciting product launches this year,” in his own words. He offered up additional tidbits of information about a new, rugged model which he dubbed Apple Watch Pro. How to watch YouTube on Apple Watch
With Apple Watch Pro, Gurman claims, Apple will bring the first visual refresh to its wearable device in years. Aimed at fans of extreme sports, this device will be “a good bit bigger” than the current Apple Watch Series 7 and feature a seven percent larger screen. The device should be “an evolution of the current rectangular shape” but it reportedly “won’t have those rumored flat sides,” Gurman has it.
A rugged, titanium casing
The current Apple Watch Series 7 was supposed to bring a squared-off design, but that never came to be—now those flat edges might appear on the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8 alongside a flat display. Gurman’s newsletter frames the Apple Watch Pro model as a high-end device marketed to a very specific customer.
The casing should use “a more durable formulation of titanium” to make it extra rugged. Other perks apparently include a much longer-lasting battery along with a low-power mode feature expected to debut on Apple Watch Pro, making the device more durable and lasting multiple days on a single charge.
Redesigning Apple Watch in 2018
All Apple Watch models use more or less similar design language which hasn’t changed much over the years, except for larger screens, smaller bezels and other tweaks. The first three Apple Watch models looked virtually indistinguishable from one another. In 2018, however, Apple launched the Apple Watch Series 4 which Brough a noticeable bigger display, thinner bezels and rounded corners. Its enclosure was a bit thinner and slightly rounder than the previous models. The back crystal containing a sensor array was also redesigned around a ceramic back.
When will Apple Watch gain new health sensors?
There have been conflicting rumors in terms of new sensors in the upcoming Apple Watch Series 8 series. The most credible sources claim that the upcoming watch may feature a new body-temperature sensor with limited functionality at launch.
Apple has been working on other health sensors that could probe the holy grail for personal healthcare, including a blood-glucose sensor to measure blood sugar levels non-invasively. Samsung and other companies are working on similar sensors, and Apple isn’t expected to bring its own to market until “nearer to the end of the decade.” A blood-glucose sensor on your wrist would be a revolution for diabetics. The company is also believed to be developing a health sensor dedicated to measuring blood pressure. That one is expected to appear in a future Apple Watch no sooner than 2025. Read: 30+ things to do and know after buying an Apple Watch