Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman says Apple has plans for a total revamp of its Apple Watch for the popular wearable device’s tenth birthday. Gurman calls the upcoming device “Apple Watch X,” which is the same naming convention Apple used for the temth anniversary iPhone X model.
As the original Apple Watch was introduced in 2014 but didn’t hit shelves until 2015, Gurman is unsure whether the Apple Watch X will be released in 2024 or 2025.
Gurman says Apple is working on a thinner casing for the Apple Watch X, as well as working on different mechanisms for attaching bands to the device’s casing, which has remained the same since the device’s introduction, allowing bands to be compatible throughout all of the different generations of the Apple Watch.
Gurman says his sources tell him that the existing band system takes up a large amount of space that could be better put to use to allow for bigger batteries or other internal components. Apple is said to be mulling over a magnetic band attachment system, but it is currently unclear whether it will be ready for the Apple Watch X model.
The Apple Watch X could also introduce the use of microLED display technology for the Apple Watch X, in place of existing OLED screens. The anniversary model may also be the first Apple Watch to boast blood pressure monitoring.
Gurman expects the Apple Watch Series 9 to be only a “minor refresh,” similar to the incremental updates that the device has received over recent years. Other than faster processors and new color options, the Watch is expected to be largely the same as the existing models, or as Gurman puts it, it is “arguably the most minor upgrade in the product’s history.”
Apple has been considering moving the Apple Watch away from its current annual upgrade cycle, Gurman says, much like the iPad, which began being updated on an annual, but now only gets a refresh every 18 months or so.