Apple Watch Pro? It could happen this Fall according to the latest rumors
There’s a lot going on with the latest Apple Watch rumors. Setting aside the Apple Watch Series 3, which will be discontinued this Fall, and the mid-range Apple Watch SE, the current Apple Watch lineup looks like this: Apple Watch, in aluminum or stainless steel, and Apple Watch Edition, in titanium. Mark Gurman’s latest column dives into the latest on a longstanding rumor about a “rugged” Apple Watch model:
Whether it will be called the Apple Watch Extreme, Apple Watch Max, Apple Watch Explorer Edition or the Apple Watch Pro, Apple Inc. is set to give the Apple Watch its “Pro” tier.
He’s clearly not entirely sure what this model would be called, but later in the piece he makes it clear that he’s betting on “Apple Watch Pro.” More details on the watch:
For the new more-expensive Apple Watch coming this fall, which I detailed this past week, the pro features will be a larger and more shatter-resistant display, enhanced hiking and swim tracking, longer battery life and a heftier and rugged case made from a premium, non-aluminum metal material (probably titanium given it’s much more durable than steel).
That smartwatch will be designed to appeal to extreme sports athletes and anyone who might otherwise buy a high-end Garmin sports watch for intense workouts. I also think its bigger screen, larger battery and metal design will make it attractive for anyone who simply wants the most advanced Apple Watch.
He may well be right about the “Apple Watch Pro” name. After all, most of Apple’s other product families have a “Pro” model. It doesn’t feel quite right to me here though, at least given that he’s describing a more ruggedized, outdoor-focused product. One of the things that sets the iPhone 13 Pro apart from the iPhone 13 is that it uses higher end materials. But the Apple Watch in stainless steel and the Apple Watch Edition in Titanium already do that.
Given that he mentions “enhanced hiking and swim tracking” you might expect that this new watch will get a more advanced processor than the other Apple Watch models, but that doesn’t seem to be the case:
The Apple Watch Series 8 will add an updated display at the current 41mm and 45mm Series 7 sizes, the S8 chip (on par with the S7 and S6 chips in performance), and a body temperature sensor (the rugged model will get the same chip and new health feature, too).
Gurman is always worth reading because he’s well-connected to people inside Apple, but his writing style is often confusing. Allow me to try to make some sense out of this:
He’s claiming that the new watch will have a larger display, and will be made out of more durable materials. Apple’s going to market it toward people who do a lot of outdoor exercise where durability is highly praised. But it won’t have a more advanced chip or sensors. That means that, despite the way you might read Gurman’s piece, it’s not going to have any additional software features not available in main Apple Watch that will also be coming this Fall. As far as pricing, Gurman’s expecting it to be $900 or more.
It all sounds pretty plausible, but it runs a bit counter to what I had expected from a “rugged” Apple Watch. I think I always assumed that, rather than being a high-end model replacing the Apple Watch Edition, that it would be more of a peer product to the regular Apple Watch, only in a design more in line with what Garmin buyers are getting. The rumored product Gurman’s writing about really just sounds like a replacement for the Apple Watch Edition. But in his defense, customers might be more drawn to a product called Apple Watch Pro because they’d understand the tiering system in Apple’s naming scheme.
I guess we’ll find out for sure in September, but this rumor raises more questions for me than answers.