Apple Watch Series 10 gets larger displays, thinner design, new chip (Gurman)

According to leaker Mark Gurman, Apple is preparing a major update to the Apple Watch Series 10 model that will feature larger displays, a thinner design, and a new chip.

In an email to subscribers, Gurman points out that the Apple Watch is about to celebrate its tenth anniversary. The smartwatch was introduced in 2014 but didn’t launch until 2015. He’s not sure if Apple will market this year’s new model as an anniversary edition or wait until next year. However, some major upgrades are expected.

Both versions of the Series 10 – codenamed N217 and N218 – will get larger screens. The change means that Series 10 buyers can choose a screen that’s roughly the same size as the Apple Watch Ultra. The design of the Ultra itself, on the other hand, won’t change much (the actual version isn’t due until 2022, though). There will be more improvements under the hood. Both the Series 10 and the new Ultra 3 will get a new chip that could lay the foundation for some AI improvements in the future. But if you’re hoping the device will run Apple Intelligence – the upcoming suite of AI features – you might want to temper your expectations. For now, this service is only for the iPhone, iPad and Mac. Later, it will be available for the Vision Pro, but there are no plans to bring the entire initiative to the watch.

Addressing the long-awaited health updates, Gurman says that technology to detect high blood pressure and sleep apnea was supposed to launch this year, but efforts haven’t gone smoothly. The technology to measure high blood pressure (hypertension) wasn’t as reliable as hoped during testing. That could delay the release. Additionally, there have been some concerns about the feature working with the Series 10’s new design. Even when the hypertension measurement feature does launch, it’s not expected to provide an actual reading; rather, it will just let you know if your blood pressure is high compared to your baseline.

The sleep apnea feature is said to face even greater challenges. This feature is tied to blood oxygen saturation, which Apple currently cannot measure due to the ongoing legal battle with Masimo Corp. The company could legally argue that the oxygen meter can be used for purposes not directly related to blood oxygen, or it could announce the feature with a future release date. Alternatively, Apple could launch new sleep apnea features internationally and not bring them to the U.S. until the legal issues are resolved.

Apple is also working on glucose monitoring for the Apple Watch. Some important milestones have already been achieved, but that is a longer-term goal.

On the production side, Apple is testing the use of 3D printed cases for some models. This would speed up production and lead to less material waste. In addition, a new low-cost Apple Watch SE model is reportedly in development. To reduce costs, the company has tested replacing the aluminum case with hard plastic.

Gurman’s predictions confirm leaked renders that allegedly reveal the design of the upcoming Apple Watch Series 10 or Apple Watch X. Check out those leaked renders here. Currently, there are two slightly different predictions regarding the sizes of the upcoming Apple Watch Series 10. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts a 4mm increase in display size for the new models, expanding from 41mm and 45mm to approximately 45mm and 49mm. In contrast, 91mobiles claims that the new display size will be around 2 inches or 51mm.

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