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Prosser: Lower-Priced Apple Watch With Series 4 Design Coming Next Week

Isn't this what Apple does every year?

Release the new latest-and-greatest model and also repurpose/reprice the model from two generations back as the entry level model. For example, right now you can buy the series 5 for $399 and up or the Series 3 for $199 and up. Series 6 and Series 4 follows the same pattern.
 
Jony Ive and Co. said:
The M9 is 5 years old, not efficient by today's standard (particularly for watches where efficiency is key). Also, M9 is not sensitive enough for precise motion tracking in a watch; it measured steps and stairs climbed quite roughly in the iPhone 6S. It's basically like re-using obsolete tech for a new watch.
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I can't comment on whether the M9 in particular is plausible, or whether the features offered by the Mx are even interesting to the Watch.

My point is twofold:

  • it makes sense and isn't unprecedented for the Sx to have a shrunk version of much older iPhone chips. For example, the S4 went 64-bit in 2018, five years after the A7 in 2013. (At this point, though, the CPU itself seems to simply take the low-power cores from the iPhone.)
  • the Sx series are systems-on-package and contain multiple chips in the same package without being tightly integrated. Hence, I don't think my speculation that the M9 (or M11, or whatever) might be in a future version of that package is that out of place, given the rumor.
 
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chucker23n1 said:
I can't comment on whether the M9 in particular is plausible, or whether the features offered by the Mx are even interesting to the Watch.

My point is twofold:

  • it makes sense and isn't unprecedented for the Sx to have a shrunk version of much older iPhone chips. For example, the S4 went 64-bit in 2018, five years after the A7 in 2013. (At this point, though, the CPU itself seems to simply take the low-power cores from the iPhone.)
  • the Sx series are systems-on-package and contain multiple chips in the same package without being tightly integrated. Hence, I don't think my speculation that the M9 (or M11, or whatever) might be in a future version of that package.
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This is such a weird hill to die on, what you’re saying doesn’t make any sense. No, the watch chips are not 5 year old designs “shrunk down”. The “motion coprocessor” isn’t even a chip any more - it stopped being separate years ago and it’s just a designation they give the circuit they put on the SoC which gets updated with every new chip they release.

The Apple Watch does not, and will not have an “M9” or any variation of it. It is inefficient and obsolete technology.
 
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ersan191 said:
This is such a weird hill to die on, what you’re saying doesn’t make any sense. No, the watch chips are not 5 year old designs “shrunk down”. The “motion coprocessor” isn’t even a chip any more - it stopped being separate years ago and it’s just a designation they give the circuit they put on the SoC which gets updated with every new chip they release.

The Apple Watch does not, and will not have an “M9” or any variation of it. It is inefficient and obsolete technology.
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Thank you for adding nothing to this discussion ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
As someone who’s owned the Series 4 & 5 and plans to upgrade to the 6 if the rumoured additional Health sensors are factual, I really hope Apple doesn’t use this as an excuse to bump up the price points of what, up until now, have been the standard / only models.
 
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KeanosMagicHat said:
As someone who’s owned the Series 4 & 5 and plans to upgrade to the 6 if the rumoured additional Health sensors are factual, I really hope Apple doesn’t use this as an excuse to bump up the price points of what, up until now, have been the standard / only models.
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I definitely don’t want to see a price increase. The SS model is already dangerously close to $1k. I rather not spend over that for the next watch.
 
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chucker23n1 said:
I can't comment on whether the M9 in particular is plausible, or whether the features offered by the Mx are even interesting to the Watch.

My point is twofold:

  • it makes sense and isn't unprecedented for the Sx to have a shrunk version of much older iPhone chips. For example, the S4 went 64-bit in 2018, five years after the A7 in 2013. (At this point, though, the CPU itself seems to simply take the low-power cores from the iPhone.)
  • the Sx series are systems-on-package and contain multiple chips in the same package without being tightly integrated. Hence, I don't think my speculation that the M9 (or M11, or whatever) might be in a future version of that package.
Click to expand...

Well yes, actually it was quite surprising when I only learnt from the Sept 2018 keynote that S3 and before were 32-bit.

Does anyone know if Apple still manufactures A-chips with discrete M chips (integrates them into A chips)? Apple has basically stopped advertising M chips for the past ~2-3 years now
 
BasicGreatGuy said:
I have it on good authority, that the new budget watch is going to be called the ‘MacRumors Light Edition.’
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Get with the program: Light is out, dark is in.

It could be the ultimate in dark mode: a black band, with a black screen and unichrome black battery-saving LED display.
 
MacRumors said:


Earlier this month, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Debby Wu reported that Apple plans to introduce a replacement for the Apple Watch Series 3 that competes with lower-cost fitness trackers like those from Fitbit.

Apple-Watch-SE-Feature.jpg

This rumor has now been backed by hit-or-miss leaker Jon Prosser, who claims that Apple plans to announce a lower-priced Apple Watch model at its virtual event on September 15. In a tweet, Prosser said the new model will feature a similar design as the Apple Watch Series 4, with 40mm and 44mm sizes to be available.

It's worth noting that Prosser inaccurately claimed that new Apple Watch and iPad models would be announced via press release on Tuesday of this week, but on other occasions he has shared accurate information about Apple's product release plans.

Prosser added that this lower-priced Apple Watch will lack some newer features like the ECG app and an always-on display. Confusingly, he also mentioned that the model will include the M9 chip, which is one of Apple's older motion coprocessors found in devices like the iPhone 6s, the original iPhone SE, and the fifth-generation iPad.


Last month, Apple filed several more unreleased Apple Watch models in the Eurasian Economic Commission database than it has in prior years, lending further credence to the possibility of both Apple Watch Series 6 and lower-priced models being announced next week.

Apple will be streaming its September 15 event on its website and YouTube starting at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, and we'll have full coverage of the announcements here at MacRumors. Gurman recently indicated that the event will be focused on new Apple Watch models and potentially a redesigned iPad Air, with new iPhones not expected until October.

Article Link: Prosser: Lower-Priced Apple Watch With Series 4 Design Coming Next Week
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it feels like the Always on display should be a standard basic function at this point it’s been on the series 5 long enough that I’m not sure how big the difference in cost is, and it’s such a big difference compared to having To raise your hand to turn on the screen
 
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