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xxray

macrumors 68040
Jul 27, 2013
3,070
9,284
This is kind of exhausting. Mark Gurman did one leak less than a week ago about this product and now it's everywhere nonstop. I guess it's my own fault for being so tapped into Apple news sites though.
 
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Beat me to the render, dang it.
I got you one. Better than what I used.

Introducing Apple Watch X Dynamic Island.


IMG_3103.jpeg
 

YKApple

macrumors member
Apr 21, 2021
33
92
Canada


The original Apple Watch was released in April 2015, and we are coming up on the 10th anniversary of Apple's first wearable device. With such a landmark anniversary on the horizon, rumors are coalescing around a notable 10-year anniversary update that we could see in 2024 or 2025.

Apple-Watch-X-Feature.jpg

Apple in 2017 unveiled the "iPhone X" to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, so Apple could have similar plans for the Apple Watch.

Design

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is planning a major redesign for the Apple Watch that will coincide with the 10th anniversary of the device. Apple is aiming to make the Apple Watch thinner than it is now, with a slimmer casing.

Bands

Apple is working on new ways for bands to attach to the Apple Watch, says Gurman. A magnetic attachment system that Apple is considering would free up space that is taken up by the cutouts for the current band attachment points.

Removing the band cutouts would provide more space for other internal components, which could lead to the slimmer case.

An Apple Watch with a new band attachment system would likely not be compatible with older bands. Since the 2015 launch of the Apple Watch, Apple has made sure that new Apple Watch models continue to be compatible with existing bands.

It is not yet clear if the magnetic band system will be ready for debut with the so-called Apple Watch X, nor if Apple will move ahead with plans to change band design.

Display

There are rumors that Apple is working on microLED display technology for the Apple Watch, and those rumors suggest a microLED watch will come out in 2025. That lines up closely with when Apple is planning to launch the Apple Watch X, so it would make sense for the Apple Watch X to be the first watch with the new display.

MicroLED Apple Watch rumors have suggested that it is a feature being designed for the larger Apple Watch Ultra because Apple is testing a 2.1-inch diagonal display, but there could be multiple sizes or the Apple Watch X could be a larger-sized watch with a new case design and slimmer bezels. One analyst, for example, has said Apple is working on 1.89 and 2.04-inch display sizes for 2024 Apple Watch models.

MicroLED is a relatively new technology that uses microscopic LEDs for individual pixels. MicroLED is more energy efficient than LED technology, and while it has some of the same benefits of OLED, it has a longer lifetime and there's less risk of screen burn-in.

Because of the pixel-level individual lights, microLED displays have faster response times and better contrast than other display types, plus the color is better and brighter. Apple has been investing a whole lot of money in microLED technology since 2015.

Health Features

There are no rumors about new health features for the Apple Watch X, but Apple has a couple of major advancements that are in the works and could potentially be ready in time.

Blood pressure monitoring is one such function that Apple has been developing, and 2022 rumors suggested that it would be ready for a 2025 launch. There are already wrist-worn blood pressure monitoring devices, including one from Samsung, so it isn't too far-fetched to imagine that Apple is close to being ready to launch this technology. Rather than wearing a blood pressure cuff, the Apple Watch would be able to detect blood pressure from the wrist using infrared light.

Apple is also trying to create an Apple Watch that can measure blood glucose, but that technology is further off and would probably not be ready in time for the launch of a 10th anniversary watch. Apple wants to measure blood glucose without needing to prick the skin (using infrared and other sensors), but no one has figured out how to do that reliably as of yet. Glucose monitoring is life or death and needs to be super precise, which is tough to do without breaking the skin.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said it's functionality that will be coming to the Apple Watch closer to the end of the decade.

Release

Gurman says it is not yet clear if Apple will release the new watch in 2024 or 2025. The original Apple Watch was unveiled in September 2014, but it did not release until April 2015, so Apple could use either date for the Apple Watch anniversary.

2023 will mark the debut of the Apple Watch Series 9, so a Series 10 or "X" would be more appropriate for 2024, not 2025, but the X naming is just speculation at this point.

Article Link: Apple Watch X: All the Rumors So Far
Well, Apple did skip the iPhone 9….
 

awer25

macrumors 65816
Apr 30, 2011
1,100
327
I remember the iPhone X launch. It should have just been the new iPhone 8, but instead it allowed Apple to jump the MSRP of a smartphone to $1,000 while also releasing an iPhone without much in the way of new features (iPhone 8), "justifying" the high price.

Maybe the Watch X is there to do the same, to get us used to smart watches in the higher price range.
 

GermanSuplex

macrumors 68000
Aug 26, 2009
1,532
29,967
I’m due an upgrade. I’ve had my Apple Watch since 2018. It’s still going strong and battery life is only now starting to show its age. It’s really a great device if you’re active on the job. I get busy and forget about my phone for two or three hours at a time, and getting notifications for important emails and messages really helps.

My biggest wish for the Apple Watch is purely software based - for the love of god, let us delete all text messages at once. Or bring true iCloud syncing to the watch.

I’d also like an option for a persistent time to be displayed. As awesome as the watch is, it’s also a bit irksome when you go to glance at the time just as you’ve gotten a notification which blocks the time.
 

crawfish963

macrumors 6502a
Apr 16, 2010
933
1,637
Texas
It will be tempting, certainly.

I have been questioning the purchase of an Apple Watch during the past few years, but never pulled the trigger because of the short battery life. I’m not sure about having another device to charge at night.

However, since the introduction of the oxygen sensor, I’ve felt more tempted of getting one.

If the Apple Watch X has the shape John Prosser leaked, better battery life, and the smaller size is not too big (I don’t like big watches), maybe I will get one.
I’ve owned a 2nd, 4th, 6th, and Ultra and I am probably going back to mechanical watches in the near future. I don’t use it enough to justify and I mute more notifications than I pay attention to.
 
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symphony

macrumors 68020
Aug 25, 2016
2,198
2,567
I would love it if they make a circular one, just protrude the flat sides into a round shape so no one needs to argue that content would be cut off when there is more real estate
 

mikedop

macrumors 603
Dec 30, 2019
5,764
12,306
Oklahoma
Remind me why we need a slimmer case and a bigger battery? The watch is already plenty thin. I don't need a sheet of paper. A thinner case isn't going to snag or get banged around any less. Any weight reduction is minimal, and the watch is already light enough where I'll sometimes forget its there. Fast charging makes battery life not much of an issue either. I end the day at 30% or more on my Series 7. If I did sleep tracking, a quick 5-10 minutes on the charger gets me through until the morning, where I'd charge it fully while I shower.

Neither of these are issues. Why is everyone complaining?
 

yurgrenn

macrumors newbie
Apr 23, 2023
15
2
possibility of New band connector sounds somewhat believable

Could imagine it being a significantly shallower slot of some sort that would secure a band in longitudinal direction mechanically and laterally the band would be held in place by magnetic force such eliminating need for latch mechanism

and then there could be adapter for backward compatibility
for just $99🤭
 
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