I've been wearing an Apple Watch almost every day since the original Apple smartwatch launched in 2015, so it goes without saying that I'm eagerly awaiting the launch of the 10th-generation device at Apple's September event next month.
The Apple Watch Series 10, or perhaps the Apple Watch Series X, will certainly mark a major milestone for the product that more or less defined the wearable tech category.
Ever since the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 were released last year, I've been following the rumors surrounding the Apple Watch 10. With the official announcement just weeks away (it's set for September 10th, according to a leak), we've heard plenty of rumors about Apple's next smartwatch. But we also have an idea of what to expect based on previous rumors.
So, is the Apple Watch 10 / Apple Watch X shaping up to be the best Apple Watch yet? Find out my latest youtube video to see all the biggest rumors you should know about, or read below to learn about the 3 potential upgrades I'm most excited about.
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New sizes to choose from
The Apple Watch 10, the flagship model, will likely start at $399, but will come in two sizes, with the larger one likely starting at $429. But there's a good chance those specific sizes will be different this year.
Whether intentional or not, Apple has been on a three-year cycle for design changes. The last time it changed the Apple Watch design was for the Apple Watch Series 7, when the display grew by 20 percent — that was three years ago. That means the Apple Watch 10 could see a more radical change than we saw for the Apple Watch 9 or Apple Watch Series 8.
According to a report from renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the displays could go from 41mm and 45mm to 45mm and 49mm. Leaked CAD renders suggest that the Apple Watch 10 could be as large as 2 inches, which would make it roughly the size of the Apple Watch Ultra.
Sleep Apnea Detection
The Apple Watch isn't typically talked about as much as smartwatches from brands like Samsung and Google. That said, there was a hint that the next Apple Watch would monitor and alert for signs of sleep apnea and high blood pressure.
Bloomberg's Apple insider Mark Gurman recently said that these features could be delayed due to poor reliability in testing. Additionally, sleep apnea tracking relies on the blood oxygen sensor, which could be delayed due to legal battles with medical technology company Masimo.
Apple fought back against Masimo's lawsuit despite headwinds from patent authorities, but given that health is an integral part of the Apple Watch, I wouldn't be shocked if the Apple Watch 10 launched a redesigned blood oxygen sensor that doesn't conflict with Masimo's, along with a cool feature like sleep apnea detection.
Better battery efficiency
According to a report from The Elec, a battery life boost could finally be coming to the Apple Watch 10. Apple is apparently looking to include LTPO thin-film transistor technology on the device's display, which could significantly improve the display's power consumption.
Ideally, this means that even at the same current brightness level, the watch will last longer than previous versions. I'm not getting my hopes up too much – I've been disappointed in this regard before – but I still think it would be a real revolution if the Apple Watch could last a little longer.