What to Know
- The new Apple Watch will either be an Apple Watch 10 or an Apple Watch X.
- The rumored Apple Watch will likely be released in September or October 2024.
- With a larger screen, thinner body, and magnetic band attachments, the rumored Apple Watch X will feature quite the redesign.
We know that there will be a new Apple Watch this fall, maybe even three! We also know that Apple Watch's 10-year anniversary is coming up, which is worth celebrating. We can only guess whether the Apple Watch X will come out this year or next. Here's everything we know about the new features that are rumored for the Apple Watch 10 or Apple Watch X.
New Apple Watch Release Date & Pricing (By Size)
Like most new Apple Watch models, we expect Apple to hold a special event to announce its lineup of new devices in September or October. Pre-orders for the new Apple Watch will likely then open on the following Friday, which means the latest Apple Watch will likely be released closer to the end of the month, possibly around September 20 or 27.
It is hard to imagine the new lineup to be more expensive than last year; Apple may be trying to lower costs to be able to compete with other smartwatch makers. According to the popular Apple leaker Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a cheaper Apple Watch SE model. Gurman reported on Bloomberg that the company is testing using rigid plastic instead of the aluminum shell for their low-cost Apple Watch SE models. The current Apple Watch SE (2nd generation) sells for $249+, which is $50 more than Samsung’s cheapest smartwatch.
Apple Watch X Price & Size Predictions
While a $199 Apple Watch sounds a little unrealistic, Apple has managed to offer affordable entry-level iPhones and iPads, so a cheaper Apple Watch isn't out of the question. As for the Apple Watch X, if the prices are the same as the Apple Watch 9, then the smaller 41 mm version should start at around $399 (without cellular connectivity, which is an extra $100), and the larger 45 mm version should start at $429. If there's going to be a new Apple Watch Ultra 3, which is likely, then that higher-end watch is expected to cost as much as the Ultra 2, starting at $799.
It isn’t possible to talk about Apple Watch pricing without discussing size, and Ming-Chi Kuo, a well-known Apple analyst, reported on Medium that he believes that the Apple Watch X will start at 45 mm for the smaller size and 49 mm for the larger size. Despite the bigger display sizes, they are predicted to be smaller than the current Apple Watch Ultra & Ultra 2.
Apple Watch X or Apple Watch 10: Which Will It Be?
When the iPhone celebrated its 10th anniversary, Apple skipped the iPhone 9 and jumped into a completely redesigned iPhone X, and we don't see why they wouldn't do the same thing to celebrate ten years of Apple Watch! The confusion about whether or not this celebration will happen this year or next is that while the first Apple Watch model was announced ten years ago, it didn't actually come out until 2015 and then Apple released two watches in the same year, the Original Apple Watch in the Spring and the Series 1 in the fall. Since the numbers coincide with the Apple Watch X being released this year, and Apple isn't known for its predictability, they might give us a 10 this year and then an X next year.
Another reason we can expect a completely redesigned Apple Watch X this year is by looking back at all the previously released models. It was actually Reddit user 5itronen who pointed out that the original Apple Watch and S1, S2, and S3 shared a design, followed by a larger screen and body of the S4, S5, and S6, and an even bigger screen and body of the S7, S8, and S9. If this pattern continues, we are in for a redesign! But this time, we can expect a smaller body while maximizing screen space.
A New Magnetic Band Attachment System
Many of the popular Apple leakers agree about the new size and features, but the rumor causing the most controversy is a new magnetic band attachment system. Kosutami, a known Apple leaker, is so sure that the old band attachment system will be replaced this fall that they tweeted on X that people should sell all of their old bands. As someone who has amassed an impressive band collection over the past four years of Apple Watch ownership, it would be a costly upgrade for me. Plus, I worry that no magnet is strong enough to keep an Apple Watch band on while I do things like cliff jump or go running.
Fortunately for me, Gurman, who is known for his accurate Apple device predictions, does not mention any new magnetic band attachment system, at least not in his latest rumors. He did, however, mention the potential for such a design back in August of 2023. I'm hoping his latest rumors are correct because I would rather not rehome my 100+ Apple Watch bands that have been compatible with all watches since their original release in 2015.
A Larger Display with a Smaller Body for a Lighter Watch
Apple Watch models have gotten bigger and bigger, with the current Apple Watch Ultra dominating the wrists of users worldwide. This year, we shouldn't expect a larger body. Instead, it should be a little thinner but without taking away from the screen size. Bloomberg’s Gurman predicts that the Apple Watch X will offer a large 49 mm screen option that's as big as the one on the Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2. While this may be exciting to many users, after two years of wearing the Apple Watch Ultra on my small wrist (my official Apple Watch band size is a 3), I am hoping to size down to something a little daintier. However, the rumored thinner watch body will make even the larger sizes more comfortable to wear.
Unlike Gurman, who believes the new larger Apple Watch X model will have a screen that is almost as large as the Apple Watch Ultra, 91Mobiles believes it will be even bigger! They claim to have sourced raw CAD (computer-aided design) render of the Apple Watch X with a 2-inch display, larger than the current 1.93-inch display on the Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2. According to this rendered design, the Apple Watch X’s larger display will be housed in a watch of slightly smaller proportions: 46 x 39.7 x 11.6mm. Unfortunately, we won’t know for sure until the official release.
Will the Apple Watch Ultra 3 Have a Brand New Digital Crown?
There have not been too many Apple Watch Ultra 3 rumors, but MobileSyrup did discover a patent by Apple for a new image-sensing Digital Crown. The patent titled "Crown for an Electronic Watch" was dated February 20, 2024, and shows a smaller crown with a new sensor. It isn't clear if this patent will be realized this year, sometime in the future, or ever at all. I would definitely love to see a smaller Digital Crown, and I am excited about the potential of a new sensor.
New Display: OLED or micro-LED?
The Apple Watch 9 has an LTPO (low-temperature polycrystalline oxide) OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) display, but the Apple Watch X is expected to have something a little different. The Elec, a Korean news outlet, writes about a potential new LTPO TFT (thin-film transistor) that will be more power-efficient. Gurman, on the other hand, believes that the newest Apple Watch will have a micro-LED that will improve the clarity and color of the watch's screen.
Will Apple Watch X Have High Blood Pressure & Sleep Apnea Detection?
Over the past few years the Apple Watch has been a fitness tool as much as a smartwatch, but are the rumored tracking features too good to be true? Gurman is worried that they are. It is no secret that Apple has been trying to develop the technology that would allow the new Apple Watch to not only detect sleep apnea but also high blood pressure, but they are running into problems.
At this moment, neither of these technologies have proven to be at all reliable, and Apple doesn’t like to release anything unless it works as expected, especially when it is health-related. Plus, those who are excited about a blood pressure tracking tool would still need to use a blood-pressure cuff to get the actual reading rather than a warning that your watch could give you.
Detecting sleep apnea is not going as planned, either. Gurman reports that Masimo Corp has an ongoing legal dispute with Apple over measuring blood oxygen saturation, which is necessary for detecting sleep apnea. So, while there is a chance that these features will come to a future Apple Watch, it won't likely be available on the Apple Watch X, or at least not this fall (it could potentially be a delayed feature).
Inside the New Watches: 3D-Printed Parts & New Chips
Apple has made some serious environmental promises and have been looking for ways to lower their ecological footprint in all sorts of different ways. This time around, Gurman talked about Apple considering using a 3D-printed chassis, at least for some models of Apple Watch. Not only would this be more eco-friendly, but it could also make the production process quicker.
Like all other Apple devices, upgrades usually come with new chips. While the Apple Watch SE (3rd generation) is not expected to get the latest and greatest, the Series X and Ultra 3 are likely contenders. While Apple Watch enthusiasts are hoping for a chip that can handle some new AI features, the recently-announced Apple Intelligence is not coming to the latest Apple Watch. After it successfully runs on iPhones, iPads, Macs, and eventually Vision Pros, it might also make its way to Apple Watch.
Other Rumors & Wish Lists
There have been whispers about Apple working on a watch sensor that could replicate the finger prick to measure blood glucose monitor. While Gurman writes this is in motion, he doesn’t think the technology will be ready for this 2024 fall release. For all the latest coverage on all things Apple and Apple Watch, be sure to sign up for our free Tip of the Day newsletter.
If we do get the rumored plastic body on the new Apple Watch SE (3rd generation), it could open up the possibility of offering lots of fun fresh colorful designs. This would be perfect if Apple Watch finally created a more kid-friendly Apple Watch, which Gurman has talked about in his Power On newsletter. Perks of an Apple Watch for kids could let parents see their children's location and be able to communicate with them even if they don't have their own iPhone yet.
As someone who is considering switching from the Apple Watch Ultra to the Apple Watch X, my biggest worries are losing battery life and the ability to track my dives (with the help of third-party app Oceanic+). While it isn't likely that a thinner, lighter watch will have longer battery life than the Apple Watch Ultra, I am hoping that the improvements in power efficiency will extend it just a little. I also wish that instead of increasing their watch sizes, they would offer a smaller watch size, closer to the 38mm Apple Watch 3. They could call it an Apple Watch mini!
