The Apple Watch Pro (or as it’s been referred to) could be big, polarizing, and only appealing to a certain number of individuals.
That’s according to Mark Gurman over at Bloomberg. In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman suggests that the design of the most durable Apple Watch ever could be different enough that it’ll appease a niche audience instead of a more generalized one. The Apple Watch Pro is a rumored variant of the Apple Watch Series 8 which will offer a beefier design that’s built to protect it against higher-intensity activities.
Apparently, the new model will have a larger screen that’s about seven percent bigger than the current 45mm model’s display. It’ll also offer some variation of the current design with rounded sides.
Here’s what Gurman said in his newsletter verbatim.
I’m told that the high-end model is going to be a good bit bigger than the standard Apple Watch—big enough that it might only appeal to a subset of customers. The screen will be about 7% larger, and the device will have a fresh look—the first time the company has introduced a new Apple Watch design since 2018. It will be an evolution of the current rectangular shape, and not circular. It also won’t have those rumored flat sides (for those who will undoubtedly ask). In terms of materials, the watch will have a more durable formulation of titanium to make it extra rugged.
I don’t think there were many rumors that the Apple Watch would go circular in 2022, but there have been reports that it’ll eventually adopt flat sides like many other Apple products have. It’s unclear if the standard Series 8 watches will get squared-off edges, but at least as far as the Pro model goes, rounded sides are here to stay.
A titanium formulation lines up with previous reports pertaining to the Apple Watch Pro. I couldn’t imagine Apple sticking with the standard aluminum finish of the Watch as it stands today, yet it’s also hard to envision some sort of rubberized material being used for the external design as commonly found on other ultra-durable watches. Titanium will, of course, drive the price up, and it’ll be interesting to see if previous rumors indicating a tag of $1,000+ are correct.
The new Apple Watch being larger and unappealing to a good number of people makes sense. It’s an ultra-durable Apple Watch and not everyone will appreciate that or find that they need that. Some want the ability to wear their watch to a fancy dinner or cocktail hour with friends. Others want the ability to pair it with any strap and go into the office looking all dapper and fashionably coordinated. It’s hard to imagine taking this substantial chonk of technology everywhere you go, from the dirt track to a wedding.
In addition, Gurman reiterates how he believes the new watch (along with the rest of the Series 8 family) will sport a body temperature sensor, which could tell you if you have a fever. On the other hand, exclusive to the Pro model will be multiple days of battery life thanks to the larger case size and a new low-power mode. This might be a reason people who wouldn’t normally buy a rugged watch buy the Apple Watch Pro – battery life is simply too short on smartwatches for some people (especially those who like to track their sleep), so I’m sure this will sound extremely appealing to at least some consumers.
All of that being said, nothing’s official yet. The Apple Watch Pro isn’t expected until September, alongside the rest of the Series 8 lineup as well as the iPhone 14. If there’a anything definitive to say right now, it’s that Apple will have a jam-packed second half of 2022.
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