Apple Watch Series 10 to feature larger screen and thinner design, but new health features could be delayed

Apple has big changes planned for this year’s Apple Watch redesign. A new report today reveals that the Apple Watch Series 10 will feature larger screens, a thinner design, and faster performance. However, Apple has hit some roadblocks with its plans for new health features.

In the latest edition of his A Newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that both Apple Watch Series 10 models, codenamed N217 and N218, will have larger screens this year. In fact, Gurman says the larger of the two models will have a screen that’s “about the same size as the Apple Watch Ultra.”

This is in line with leaked plans that surfaced last week showing that the larger version of the Apple Watch Series 10 will have a 2-inch display, which is slightly larger than the 1.93-inch display on the Apple Watch Ultra. Gurman also says that the Apple Watch Series 10 will be thinner, but the “design itself probably won’t look much different.”

The Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 will both get a more powerful processor this year. While this could “lay the groundwork for some AI improvements in the future,” Gurman says Apple currently has “no plans” to bring the full set of Apple Intelligence features to the Apple Watch.

As for new health features, previous reports suggested that the Apple Watch Series 10 would include blood pressure monitoring and sleep apnea features. Today’s report states: Bloomberg Apple says progress has been made on these features over the past year, but has “encountered some serious issues” since then.

The Apple Watch’s hypertension technology “was not as reliable as hoped during testing,” the report said. The reliability issues “could force Apple to delay the release beyond this year.” When the feature is available, it will not show the user their exact systolic and diastolic readings. Instead, the feature will show blood pressure trends over time, similar to how the Apple Watch’s body temperature feature currently works.

The Apple Watch’s purported sleep apnea detection feature is tied to blood oxygen saturation data. Currently, Apple Watch models sold by Apple in the US do not offer blood oxygen monitoring due to an ITC import ban.

Either Apple resolves this issue by September or finds a way around it (perhaps the company could argue that its oxygen monitor can be used for purposes not directly related to blood oxygen levels). It could also announce the feature but not release it until later—or simply delay it altogether.

Is this the Apple Watch X?

Bloomberg previously reported on Apple’s plans to unveil a redesign of the Apple Watch X to mark the device’s 10th anniversary, calling the redesign the Apple Watch’s “biggest overhaul yet.”

In his report today, Gurman says it’s not clear whether the new Apple Watch will receive the anniversary branding this year or if a larger release is planned for 2025:

It’s still unclear whether Apple will market the upcoming watches as anniversary models or wait until next year. Since the Apple Watch was announced in 2014 but didn’t launch until 2015, the company could either announce the anniversary this year or make a more flashy release in 2025.

The Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 are expected to be announced in September along with the iPhone 16.