Gurman: Apple Planning Major 'Apple Watch X' Redesign to Introduce New Band System and More

[Billy_Bob]

Remember that even if Apple Watch X introduces a new band scheme, they'll likely keep an SE version around for a few years that uses the old bands. By the time they get to Apple Watch 12 the then-current SE will likely have nearly all the functionality of Apple Watch X, such that people with Apple Watch 0 - 9 will at least upgrade to the newest SE.

 

[axantas]

...welcome to a working magnetic compass with magnetic attachments for watchbands.
Ok, maybe they will ditch that oldfashioned compass for a purely GPS based system. But all in all - a bad idea.

 

[CWallace]

It's worth noting that the processor hasn't changed from the Series 6 - so it will be interesting to see if they wait for the X for the next processor upgrade.

Series 9 will get a processor upgrade per German.

 

[jz0309]

Battery is everyone’s number one complaint. Really there is no other improvement that moves the needle short of medical grade sensors and those things only impact segments of the market. Increasing battery life by 30-40% would benefit everyone. While I currently can get 3 days from my ultra, that kind of redesign Could see a 5 day work week possible on a charge for me.

Or 3+ serious days in the backcountry. This would be very welcome.

1. battery life is NOT everyones complaint, the (probably) majority of MR users but they are far from a representation of the average AW user. I've used AW since S0 and have never run out of battery, it works for me (and others have confirmed that in multiple threads here).
2. medical sensors "only impact segments of the market", yet "3+ serious days in the backcountry" are welcome for clearly far fewer people that would benefit from health sensors? really?

 

[Wokis]

(Series 9) Gurman says it is "arguably the most minor upgrade in the product's history."

Nah, a new CPU (which he has reported before) arguably makes it a bigger upgrade than Series 8, whose inaccurate temperature sensor they could only come up with one use-case for.

 

[Flight Plan]

Do you have no sense of creativity? Magnets don’t mean that’s the ONLY clasping mechanism for the band. They could have a magnet that lines it up with a simple clasp that secures in place. I like the current strap design, but I’ve often looked at the watch and thought there was a ton of wasted space for battery.

Battery is everyone’s number one complaint. Really there is no other improvement that moves the needle short of medical grade sensors and those things only impact segments of the market. Increasing battery life by 30-40% would benefit everyone. While I currently can get 3 days from my ultra, that kind of redesign Could see a 5 day work week possible on a charge for me.

Or 3+ serious days in the backcountry. This would be very welcome.

When you mentioned creativeity, I immediacy remember the last time I got myself pinched by the convergence of two rare-earth magnets. I promised myself that the next time, I’d rather just clamp my fingers in a workshop vice.

I’m not up for anything that pinches me so hard I get a blood blister from the encounter.

I do agree with your battery comment…but I’m not sure how much the battery life could be extended without somehow increasing the size of the battery or at least somehow reducing battery usage of the various radios in the device. My AW battery life takes an especially hard hit whenever I am on the road for the day.

 

[Tagbert]

I wonder how Apple’s blood pressure monitoring will be implemented.

I doubt that they will be able to provide a reliable blood pressure sensor in a watch. Even the wrist-based sensors are barely worth using as their readings are not reliable. Even then you need to sit down and support your arm to get a consistant reading. Just expecting it to do readings as you go about your day will just give a bunch of garbage data.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

I’m still on the Series 4 waiting for a compelling reason to upgrade.
A new band would not be much temptation.
The MicroLED and BP monitoring would be tempting though!

I like the idea of a long product cycle for the watches.
Year over year they change so slightly.

I owned an S4 and an S7 before the Ultra, and IMO the Ultra is quite literally an order of magnitude better. For me anyway. And in daily usage IIRC even the S7 provided very substantially improved operation over the S4.

One needs to actually use an AW to really evaluate it, not just look at one in the store. And new bands are irrelevant to me as long as the original black velcro holds up.

 

[zorinlynx]

Ahh, so what happened is most everyone with an Apple Watch by now has all the bands they really like, and have stopped buying new ones. So of course Apple has to introduce a new band attachment system, otherwise people won't buy more when they upgrade their watch!

Damnit, Apple. Stop this please.

 

[mjs916]

How would magnets take up less space than the current system? They'd have to be really strong, and thus heavy and bulky.

This seems off

Exactly. The current system is as close to perfect as I think they could have gotten and they can’t possibly think a magnet is a proper way to secure a computer to your wrist.

I think this magnet rumor stems from work on a new specific type of band that closes with a magnet, rather than attaches with.

 

[mjs916]

Ahh, so what happened is most everyone with an Apple Watch by now has all the bands they really like, and have stopped buying new ones. So of course Apple has to introduce a new band attachment system, otherwise people won't buy more when they upgrade their watch!

Damnit, Apple. Stop this please.

Stop what? They haven’t changed the band attachments since Series 0.

 

[Tripps9000]

Very interesting. When taking about the iPhone X a guy who I work with was using one his son gave him and i having a iPhone 14 was so surprised how different it was between the 2 phones I know people say Apple does not innovate but that sure looks like a lot of innovation between the 2

 

[jz0309]

Ahh, so what happened is most everyone with an Apple Watch by now has all the bands they really like, and have stopped buying new ones. So of course Apple has to introduce a new band attachment system, otherwise people won't buy more when they upgrade their watch!

Damnit, Apple. Stop this please.

Apple currently offers 11 different "styles" of bands plus the Hermes.
these bands are likely the highest margin products for apple (maybe excluding services), and Apple sells a lot of them.
I seriously doubt that they will change the band attach design. Ultra, which is an entirely new/different design, would have been the perfect candidate for that ...

 

[Octavius8]

S9 will be only a color refresh cycle.
S8 price should be cheaper, just for the version number and old tech.

 

[B4U]

That’s good stuff!

Hopefully, battery life can be extended to 7 Days on a single charge.

If the iPhone's battery life is not lasting that long.

 

[abowlby]

With a free shipping threshold of $100 and a 20% coupon that ends up not even covering the shipping costs.

Too funny. Coupon code: UPLAYEDURSELF

 

[Eldaerenth Faexidor]

lol @ all the people hating on Apple for allegedly opting for a new band-attachment mechanism. They kept the current system for 10 YEARS! LMAO!

 

[Böhme417]

Does your iPhone with MagSafe go wonky?

I don’t know if the magnets in the phone are to blame, but my compass and direction in map apps hasn’t been right in generations. About 75% of the time, I’m either going sideways or backwards.

 

[maxfromdenmark]

Musk has spoiled X and it is no more appealing to me.

 

[Onimusha370]

Oh my god not the band connector please

 

[srknpower]

(Series 9) Gurman says it is "arguably the most minor upgrade in the product's history."

Nah, a new CPU (which he has reported before) arguably makes it a bigger upgrade than Series 8, whose inaccurate temperature sensor they could only come up with one use-case for.

As a Series 8 user, I completely agree. Unfortunately Apple doesn’t utilize its wrist temperature sensor at all. It should check for daily temperature changes and give warnings in order to become a prominent feature.

 

[Tagbert]

I don’t know if the magnets in the phone are to blame, but my compass and direction in map apps hasn’t been right in generations. About 75% of the time, I’m either going sideways or backwards.

You may need to recalibrate

 

[Tagbert]

(Series 9) Gurman says it is "arguably the most minor upgrade in the product's history."

Nah, a new CPU (which he has reported before) arguably makes it a bigger upgrade than Series 8, whose inaccurate temperature sensor they could only come up with one use-case for.

It’s a bit silly to call the temperature sensor inaccurate. The bigger problem is that taking the temperature of your wrist is only going to give you an approximation of your core body temperature. Unless they come out with a probe with a Bluetooth connection to measure your temperature, it’s always going to involve some guesswork. 😉

 

[canyonblue737]

Exactly. The current system is as close to perfect as I think they could have gotten and they can’t possibly think a magnet is a proper way to secure a computer to your wrist.

I think this magnet rumor stems from work on a new specific type of band that closes with a magnet, rather than attaches with.

the magnetic system will align and attach the band to the watch at which point a physical engagement of a latch will occur that will provide the security people need. the idea is you bring the band and watch close together and "snap" it connects and latches... done.

 

[rotvaldi]

there is not going to be a WatchS9... they will skip to 10 aka X.