Apple Watch X: All the Rumors So Far

[jz0309]

I think Apple is experimenting with new types of bands and might, at some point, introduce a Watch that features a new type of band connection mechanism.

But I struggle to see what Apple can change on that front.

Maybe it’s some mechanism where you lock and unlock the band via Settings and some magnet mechanism will either lock it in or push it out?

Apple likes to over engineer these kinds of things. And maybe a “digital lock” for bands would make it easier and faster to switch bands?

Could possibly also be a way to implement serial numbers into bands and block third parties from making them without paying Apple a MFaw (Made for Apple Watch) fee?

I can see the potential.

sure, I am sure that they are "experimenting" with a lot of things, but that is typically driven by engineering.

Let's just say there are currently 200M AWs being used (figures suggest that thru 2022 Apple sold 230M or so), and a lot of people have more than 1 band, OEM and 3rd party, I wouldn't be surprised if the average # might be 5, so that would mean ~1B bands for AWs - that is a HUGE market, will they be killing that?
a lot of current users will ask themselves why getting a new collection of bands if those become obsolete again.

I suppose we will find out, sooner or later

 

[Populus]

got a link?

Got some images from what was rumored to be the Apple Watch 7, leaked by Prosser. One of his most sound failures.

Credit to John Prosser and Ian Zelbo.

 

[johnediii]

Can we just hold off on the rumors for next year until after we get all the new stuff this year?

 

[rainyengineer]

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.

The battery life is atrocious and night time charging only works if you don't care about sleep data and don't travel much. I wear one because the HealthKit integration gets all my data into one place but if I could get a FitBit to do the same I'd switch. Hopefully they can get battery life up to 3-4 days, that would work for almost anybody.

 

[sportpepper]

Put the battery in the band please, and make it easy and fast to switch to a fully charged band. We could thus wear the watch 24/7, except a couple minutes to switch bands (only once per day if a 24+ hour battery). I suppose you'd still need a tiny battery in the watch to keep things alive when switching bands.

 

[segfaultdotorg]

And here I am, an iWatch virgin, having never owned one.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

I won’t be waiting for this watch, I’m planning on upgrading my series 5 next month and will keep it until I need to get a new one. That seems to be what most people do with Apple Watches in my experience.

 

[UltimaKilo]

I won’t be waiting for this watch, I’m planning on upgrading my series 5 next month and will keep it until I need to get a new one. That seems to be what most people do with Apple Watches in my experience.

Why wouldn't you hold off? The Series 5 is more than capable and has very little real-world improvements, if the rumors on the S9 are true. The Series 5 is the last real upgrade Apple has made to the Watch.

 

[smoking monkey]

not buying the case redesign nor the magnetic bands ...
a total new redesign came last year with the Ultra and they could have used that model for a new band design - they didn't. Apple themselves have offered over 20 different band styles, they make a boatload of money from what they have today.

But, we have only a few more weeks to go to find out what Apple has to say!

A few more weeks + 1 year for the AW X. This year is the 9.
It's a crazy report more than one year out, but that's what it has come to now that we know everything about the new phone the AW 9 aka AW7ss. Already looking forward to next year's tech.

 

[smoking monkey]

Why wouldn't you hold off? The Series 5 is more than capable and has very little real-world improvements, if the rumors on the S9 are true. The Series 5 is the last real upgrade Apple has made to the Watch.

S7 gave us a redesign. It's definitely a better looking watch now than the S5.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Why wouldn't you hold off? The Series 5 is more than capable and has very little real-world improvements, if the rumors on the S9 are true. The Series 5 is the last real upgrade Apple has made to the Watch.

I don’t have a lot of faith that the Apple Watch X is going to be sensibly priced even if I did hold off. I could well wait and the £419 the series 8 is currently will revolve into a £600 watch and I don’t see the value in that for a smartwatch. Everything Apple seem to make lately is inflating in price and at this point I may still buy a series 8 when the 9 comes out just to get some satisfaction out of it.

The rumours suggest the X will be released for the 10th anniversary in 2025 so I’d have to stretch my series 5 to another 2 years of use. Right now when I go for a morning run, I have to put the Watch back on charge because it rinses the battery, much like if I use the heart rate monitor. I’ve had to disable AOD as I can’t get the watch to last into the evening with it turned on. Sure it works still as a basic watch but the battery is awful for anything intensive.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

S7 gave us a redesign. It's definitely a better looking watch now than the S5.

It looks no different to my eyes to be honest. The screen got a little bit closer to the edge but aesthetically it looks the same to me.

 

[4odomi]

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 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

For me the major issues with my S8 ss, is the battery life (not interested in Ultra to get a better battery), when using cellular in particular, lack of true integration with what's app. lack of a camera for FT, nice to have would be, a BMI sensor & glucose.
Those are the only reasons I would upgrade.(and I don't mean just one of them)
Different shape, different watch straps or microLED are just not enough, (although welcome)
Talking of upgrades; apart from the Ultra, I feel Apple have been taking the pee out of us consumers, with last years upgrades.
My loyalty is being severely tested 😡

 

[4odomi]

Question: Is Apple Watch X going to carry a Notch since iPhone X carried a notch?

View attachment 2247694

I'd love to see a little FT camera in that notch 😊
People on these forums moan about the notch constantly, for me it's iconic & instantly recognisable, much prefer it to the pill!

 

[4odomi]

I don’t have a lot of faith that the Apple Watch X is going to be sensibly priced even if I did hold off. I could well wait and the £419 the series 8 is currently will revolve into a £600 watch and I don’t see the value in that for a smartwatch. Everything Apple seem to make lately is inflating in price and at this point I may still buy a series 8 when the 9 comes out just to get some satisfaction out of it.

The rumours suggest the X will be released for the 10th anniversary in 2025 so I’d have to stretch my series 5 to another 2 years of use. Right now when I go for a morning run, I have to put the Watch back on charge because it rinses the battery, much like if I use the heart rate monitor. I’ve had to disable AOD as I can’t get the watch to last into the evening with it turned on. Sure it works still as a basic watch but the battery is awful for anything intensive.

If I were you, I'd get an almost new S8ss when they release the S9, I picked one up, mint condition 100% battery health 3 months ago on Ebay for £450, much better value than the new aluminium versions, doesn't scratch or mar like the aluminium and just a better watch all round

 

[error]

As a design object the Apple watch is boring af. I still use the Apple Watch 4 and see no reasons to upgrade or even to buy new bands. The Ultra is made for people who really need the specific features… and for people who just like big watches. So it's about time this object gets a design upgrade. 2024 is late, but 2025 is way too late.

 

[Odan]

If they call it the X instead of 9 I will definitely buy it

 

[goobot]

If only it was coming out this year

 

[aknabi]

Given what's expected to be a very minor increment this year this would suggest holding off on upgrading unless you're really in dire need of a new AW is the best course (and if in need then look for a what will be a reduced cost AW 7 or 8)

 

[mdatwood]

The battery life is atrocious and night time charging only works if you don't care about sleep data and don't travel much. I wear one because the HealthKit integration gets all my data into one place but if I could get a FitBit to do the same I'd switch. Hopefully they can get battery life up to 3-4 days, that would work for almost anybody.

I wouldn't say atrocious. My AW lasts 1.5 days. I charge it every morning while having my coffee. I think the current battery life is fine unless they could make it last a week+. Otherwise, a few days means no easy charging habit.

sure, I am sure that they are "experimenting" with a lot of things, but that is typically driven by engineering.

Let's just say there are currently 200M AWs being used (figures suggest that thru 2022 Apple sold 230M or so), and a lot of people have more than 1 band, OEM and 3rd party, I wouldn't be surprised if the average # might be 5, so that would mean ~1B bands for AWs - that is a HUGE market, will they be killing that?
a lot of current users will ask themselves why getting a new collection of bands if those become obsolete again.

I suppose we will find out, sooner or later

Agreed. The reason would have to be very compelling for Apple to break all existing straps out there. I would also add that the current strap connector is easy and fast to change AND stays very secure. I've done plenty of different sports and never worried about my AW getting pulled off.

 

[alongdingdong]

I use a apple watch Ultra, wear it 22 hours a day 7 days a week, of which often standalone via LTE. I wear it while skateboarding, cycling and paintballing as well.

*side note while skateboarding its not that comfortable to have tha block of weight slapping up and down your wrist.

My daily use cases.

• I record most of my exercises via strava.
• Watchtube for on the toilet.
• Occasionally checking my health trends.
• Apple pay but to be frank with my Iphone its more convenient then transformer folding my wrist into getting it recognized against the pin machine.

And that is about the exact same thing i did on my AW4 for 4 years. Battery life doubled but that is about all the practical use i get out of my AW.

SIRI is garbage, no A.I assistant that helps me manage my fitness/appointments.
It is not that Smart for a smartwatch, Most apps that are useful to me are thirdparty apps.

Standard fitness trackers suck compared to Strava, so thats another piece of native software of the AW that is lacking to say the least.

Yet, i still enjoy wearing my watch and excited to see what the new release will bring.
BUT Apple keeps focusing on minute hardware upgrades/changes VS a massive overhaul of the native software.

I want a A.I buddy on my wrist that provide coaching, helps getting rid of habbits or change them, plans my ****, analyzes trends etc and react to that in my health, sleep, planning, companion benefits.

I like Apple products, i like smart watches, that is about the usecase/rectification for having a 800 dollar gadget on my wrist.

I cannot deny that after 9 generations of apple watch we still have a fancy wrist worn remote for the iphone.... sure it messures some health metrics that were certified but not recognized by your doctor/hospital lol but a farcry from the desires in a SmartWatch.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

If I were you, I'd get an almost new S8ss when they release the S9, I picked one up, mint condition 100% battery health 3 months ago on Ebay for £450, much better value than the new aluminium versions, doesn't scratch or mar like the aluminium and just a better watch all round

That’s definitely something I am considering at this point. I’d have a stainless watch but it wouldn’t be a deal breaker as I’ve had two aluminium watches now and both have been plenty durable enough. With the rumours suggesting the series 9 has a slightly faster processor than the 8, it makes the series 8 very appealing indeed.

 

[rippley5150]

I still want the James Bond dart function

Damn... dart function or CGM decisions decisions ?? lol

 

[GadgetBen]

Please give us something health-related for an upgrade, please, Apple.

It’s the only reason to consider an upgrade, not for a slight battery improvement. Blood pressure would match up with the market and be very valuable as a feature.

 

[_Spinn_]

Really looking forward to a microLED screen but I don’t think I would trust magnets to hold the band on.