Apple Watch Pro with iPhone 13 design cues rumored for Sept. event

AppleInsider

Apple's update to the Apple Watch Series 8 lineup is widely expected to include a new Apple Watch Pro model, with new rumors claiming it will have a flat screen and an updated exterior design.

Numerous reports have proclaimed the arrival of a new Apple Watch model this fall, with an Apple Watch Pro joining an update to the Apple Watch Series 8 and the ongoing Apple Watch SE. The new model, believed to be the Apple Watch Pro, is expected to be bigger and more rugged than the rest, and is intended for more active users.

In a Saturday post by Macotakara, a roundup of rumors says the new Pro model will be bigger by 7% than the largest normal Apple Watch model. One cited report mentions the use of a 1.99-inch display.

An evolution of the current rectangular shape with a "less rounded design" is also anticipated, including a flat display.

Report sources in China mentions how the iPhone launch in 2017 involved "one more thing," and that a similar trick could be pulled for the Apple Watch. The same sources declare the use of a flat display in the model, complete with a metal casing "like the iPhone 13 Pro," and that it will only be available in a 47mm size.

Previous reporting on the so-called Apple Watch Pro include the use of an all-new design with the use of titanium for strength, as well as a big refresh to the appearance. However, other leaks from early August mention how the Apple Watch Series 8 lineup won't benefit from a major redesign.

Other rumors about the Pro model includes a $900 price tag, body temperature measurements, and an updated S8 chip that won't provide significant speed benefits to users over the Apple Watch Series 7.

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StrangeDays

Speed benefits are sort of moot IMO, I can’t remember the last time I thought anything ran too slowly on AW. Efficiency improvements of energy consumption are always welcome, however. That’s what I would be looking for in future chip iterations, not speed. 

pulseimages

Will the Apple Watch SE be getting a refresh too this year?

charlesn

I'm really curious to see what Apple will be touting for the Watch Pro, especially if it's at the rumored $1,000 price point. A titanium case and sapphire crystal are not new to the Watch lineup, so they're a yawn. The refreshed design *could* be nice, we'll have to see in person, but with the Watch long overdue for a design refresh, it will suck if that refresh is limited to the $1K price point. The Watch does so many things really well right now, I'm not sure what new capabilities Apple may have up its sleeve that make sense for a screen this small. The push towards reading "body data" is very smart, but also very limited by the capabilities of sensors trying to read that data from the wrist. I think advancements in that area will come slowly, especially in the realm of accuracy. Case in point: the Watch currently has a pulse oximeter sensor, but the readings are a total joke when compared against the medical grade oximeter I have at home. In fact, the oximeter reading I get from my Watch is usually low enough to warrant a trip to a hospital emergency room IF it were accurate... but it's not. 

ihatescreennames

charlesn said:

 

Case in point: the Watch currently has a pulse oximeter sensor, but the readings are a total joke when compared against the medical grade oximeter I have at home. In fact, the oximeter reading I get from my Watch is usually low enough to warrant a trip to a hospital emergency room IF it were accurate... but it's not. 

I’ve tested my watch against medical grade oximeters a few times. Only 1 time did I get a different reading and it was by 1 point. Maybe you have a watch with a bad sensor. It might be worth checking out, especially if you need one at home. 

slow n easy

I really like the look of the current  Watch. I never understood design changes just for the sake of change.

Paul_B

The Presidential Rolex is the real deal, and gets you the bad GiRLS.

jose8964

The curvature of existing Apple Watch is elegant, so it doesn’t need any change, in my opinion. The straight edge of iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 makes the phone harder to grip, especially if your hands are small. I prefer previous curved design of iPhone 11, X. iPhone 3GS has the best curve, which provides the best comfort.

dewme

jose8964 said:

The curvature of existing Apple Watch is elegant, so it doesn’t need any change, in my opinion. The straight edge of iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 makes the phone harder to grip, especially if your hands are small. I prefer previous curved design of iPhone 11, X. iPhone 3GS has the best curve, which provides the best comfort.

I have to agree. I had very high hopes that the latest iPad mini would be easier and more comfortable to hold than the older iPad mini, but it’s not. The thinner bezel and square edges may impress the pundits and tweak the sensibilities of people who are always looking to conform to the latest trends, like putting barn doors and shiplap siding inside their homes. 

Sometimes the trendy thing to do or simply pushing a paradigm from one successful product to another one turns out to be a total cop out done in place of doing a proper human centered design. I suspect the original iPad, iPad mini, and Apple Watch all underwent very thoughtful and purposeful design processes. The success of those design processes were validated by the widespread appeal and popularity of the products. So why change something that’s not broken?

Don’t get me wrong, the newest iPad mini is a great product, but there’s something a little “off” with it in terms of comfort, balance, and hand feel. The home screen display seems too squished in portrait mode even though it has more available display area. Kind of odd. 

harry wild

Hoping for a Hermes Apple Watch Pro for under $3K!

loquitur

jose8964 said:

The curvature of existing Apple Watch is elegant, so it doesn’t need any change, in my opinion. The straight edge of iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 makes the phone harder to grip, especially if your hands are small. I prefer previous curved design of iPhone 11, X. iPhone 3GS has the best curve, which provides the best comfort.

Re: iPhone edges, I don't have any particular reason to argue against the aesthetics of the bare iPhone you mention,
but don't most (95%+) folk use an iPhone case which obscures the "edge feel" in exchange for drop protection?

charlesn

ihatescreennames said:

charlesn said:

 

Case in point: the Watch currently has a pulse oximeter sensor, but the readings are a total joke when compared against the medical grade oximeter I have at home. In fact, the oximeter reading I get from my Watch is usually low enough to warrant a trip to a hospital emergency room IF it were accurate... but it's not. 

I’ve tested my watch against medical grade oximeters a few times. Only 1 time did I get a different reading and it was by 1 point. Maybe you have a watch with a bad sensor. It might be worth checking out, especially if you need one at home. 

There's a reason Apple sought and received FDA approval of the Watch's ECG capability as a "medical device," while it has neither sought nor received similar FDA approval for the pulse oximeter, and instead markets it as simply a "wellness device," a classification that requires no proof of consistent accuracy. As the saying goes, even a broken clock tells the right time twice a day, and while the Watch may occasionally get it right, you can't trust its consistency at all. Pulse oximeters that are FDA-approved as medical devices cost hundreds of dollars--the Masimo MightySat I have at home was $300. As this Washington Post article made clear, when it comes to CONSISTENT accuracy, Apple's pulse oximeter feature is "nearly useless." https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/09/23/apple-watch-oximeter/  That said, there may come a time when this technology gets better and Apple can get it FDA cleared as a medical device--we're just not there now, and other types of medical readings from the wrist, such as blood sugar levels, get a lot more complicated than a pulse oximeter.