The anniversary Apple Watch is approaching - we round up all the key whispers
Whether it arrives as the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch X, or something else entirely, it appears the Cupertino giant is cooking up something big for this year’s smartwatch.
With the rest of the industry playing catch-up, Apple has spent the last couple of years (at least) delivering only minor, iterative improvements to its latest watches.
As we approach the 10th new edition of the Apple Watch – and with the smartwatch’s 10th anniversary also set to occur during the next cycle – rumors are hotting up and providing potential insights into what we may see.
Below, we’ve done our best to collate the most credible tidbits relating to the potential Apple Watch X and take a stab at the possible release date for the 2024 Apple smartwatch.
When will the next Apple Watch be announced?
- Announcement likely to happen on 10 September 2024
- Shipping could begin on 20 September 2024
Despite early whispers that Apple may consider pushing the launch back to April 2025 to line up with the smartwatch’s 10th anniversary, industry tipsters now appear to be aligned on the idea that the Series 10 will arrive in September.
As we know from previous announcements, the second Tuesday of each September is also the most common announcement date for the latest Apple Watch. This year, that would place the annual event on 10 September.
This is typically when we first see and pre-order open for the watch, with shipments beginning the following Friday. That typical routine would lead to a 20 September 2024 launch.
We’ll update this section when Apple confirms the specifics of the September event.
How much will the Apple Watch Series 10 cost?
- No credible leaks; likely to match Series 9 pricing
In the build-up to an Apple Watch launch, we typically only hear about potential price tags unless there’s a significant change coming.
Given we haven’t heard anything so far, it’s fair to assume that Apple isn’t planning anything different for the upcoming Series 10.
The Apple Watch Series 9 starts at $399 for the 41mm model, with the larger 45mm a tad more expensive at $429. As we say, we expect this is matched for the Series 10, with the same price bumps also present for users who wish to add cellular support (usually an extra $100) or upgrade the band.
Apple Watch Series 10: Rumored changes and new features
We’re now into the final few months of the Apple Watch Series 9 life cycle, and this is typically when we see meatier leaks emerge.
We already know 11 fun things the Apple Watch will get later this year through watchOS 11, but below are the unconfirmed whispers relating to design and capabilities.
Here’s a quick summary of reported design changes and new features for the Series 10:
- Potential name change to mark 10th anniversary
- Thinner case with a larger, 2-inch display
- Band mechanism change may affect the compatibility of old straps
- A microLED display is possible, but OLED is more likely
- Blood pressure readings could be the headline health-tracking addition
1. Apple Watch X vs. Apple Watch Series 10
Despite being a pretty inconsequential element of the watch, the potential shift in naming conventions is still fascinating to watch develop over the next few months.
Bloomberg reporter and Apple Watch insider Mark Gurman first coined the term in their Power On newsletter, detailing the fact that the company was planning something for the 10th anniversary of the smartwatch.
At this stage, the moniker is nothing but speculation based on the fact that the iPhone got the ‘X’ treatment on its 10th anniversary.
We expect we won’t know for sure until potential trademarks and filings are dug up over the next couple of months.
2. A design refresh is due – and the display could be the major upgrade
In the same information dump from Gurman, it’s also suggested that Apple is planning a redesign of the watch for this 10th anniversary.
From that, it’s unclear what will remain and what will go from the current design, but it has been loosely claimed that Apple is planning a thinner case.
On this same thread, computer-aided renders first shared by 91mobiles (shown below) suggest that the shape of the Series 10 will grow to include a 2-inch screen. That would represent a mammoth increase.
For context, the 45mm version of the Series 9 only has a 1.7-inch screen, while the Apple Watch Ultra has a 1.93-inch panel. A 2-inch display would be by far the biggest display we’ve seen from Apple.
The renders also suggest the Series 10 will measure 46 x 39.7 x 11.6mm, which would mean this model sits between the current size of the aforementioned, current-gen watches. The crown and side button, and band mechanism appear to all remain unchanged, however.
Whatever the case, a redesign fits with the anniversary theme and the current three-generation cycle for significant design changes. Series 0-3 used the original design, which was then iterated on for Series 4-6, and again changed for Series 7-9.
The main question, again, is just how Apple chooses to mix things up. Just don’t hold out hope for a circular-shaped case coming any time soon.
3. Your old watch bands might not work
Another scrap of information from Bloomberg is that Apple is working on new ways to attach bands to future Apple Watch models.
Apple is considering a magnetic attachment system to free up space currently taken by the band slots, it’s said, and this may assist in delivering that thinner case mentioned above.
Of course, the major downside of this change would be that it renders older bands useless for future models. However, it’s also possible, according to Gurman’s report, that the change may not quite make it onto the 2024 edition.
If those leaked CAD renders shown above are accurate – showing an unchanged band mechanism – then it could certainly be the case that we won’t see this until 2025.
4. A microLED display might finally be used
Is this finally the year we see an Apple Watch with a microLED display?
This rumor has popped up consistently over the last couple of years, with some suggesting that Apple will debut the display tech on the Apple Watch X.
However, it’s possible – according to those same reports – that the current OLED panels may not be swapped for microLED until 2025 (or even later).
With microLED panels more efficient than OLED, the main benefit would be increased battery life. It’s also less likely to suffer screen burn and has a longer lifetime.
5. Blood pressure detection might be the headline addition
We tend to get one significant new feature between Apple Watch generations, even when there’s a design refresh. It’s what we saw with Double Tap arriving alongside the Apple Watch Series 9, and the temperature sensor with the Apple Watch Series 8.
For the Apple Watch X, blood pressure monitoring is the innovation that appears most likely to headline.
It’s been rumored by Gurman since last summer that Apple is planning a raft of new health features for the device, including the ability to detect hypertension.
This would mean the Apple Watch X wouldn’t be able to provide systolic or diastolic readings, but it would be able to spot trends.
Sleep apnea detection is also reportedly being worked on, too, though it’s suggested the smartwatch will come far too early for non-invasive blood glucose monitoring to factor. That’s not expected until towards the end of the decade.
6. The OLED display is set for an efficiency boost
Contrary to any microLED whispers, a new report from The Elec suggests that Apple will instead boost the current OLED display with LTPO TFT technology for the Series 10.
What in the world does LTPO TFT stand for, we hear you asking — well, it’s short for low-temperature polycrystalline silicon (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT), of course.
Now, what does it mean? Well, essentially, switching over to this technology from the current method (which sees LTPS tech employed in the majority of its switching transistors) should dramatically reduce power consumption, and, in turn, deliver much-improved battery life.
