Apple Watch Series 3 Enters 'Final Testing Phase' Ahead of Rumored September Launch

Apple Watch Series 3 models have entered the "final testing phase" in the manufacturing process, with mass production set to begin soon, according to a new Chinese-language Economic Daily News report [Google Translate].

apple watch 3 splash
The report, citing unnamed supply chain sources, said Taiwan-based manufacturer Quanta Computer will begin shipping Apple Watch Series 3 models to Apple in the fourth quarter, lining up with the smartwatch's widely rumored September launch, alongside new iPhones and possibly a 4K-capable Apple TV.

Apple Watch Series 2 models and slightly upgraded Series 1 models launched last September alongside the iPhone 7, so it's reasonable to assume that Series 3 models could launch this September as well. The original Apple Watch, now unofficially dubbed Series 0, launched in April 2015.

The rest of the report cites KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who recently claimed Apple Watch Series 3 will be available in both Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + LTE models in 38mm and 42mm sizes. Kuo said the cellular-enabled model will have an embedded SIM, but it might support VoIP calling only.

Apple Watch Series 3 models will also reportedly have improved performance and longer battery life, at least for the Wi-Fi-only version.

What's less certain is whether the Apple Watch will be significantly redesigned for the first time since being unveiled in September 2014.

Apple blogger John Gruber recently said he heard Apple Watch Series 3 models could have an all-new form factor, but he stressed that the tidbit came from an unconfirmed source who could be wrong. Kuo, meanwhile, said Apple Watch Series 3 models won't have any "obvious" form factor changes.

"It could also be that both my birdie and Kuo are correct," said Gruber, in a follow-up post yesterday. "The phrase 'will not feature an obvious new form factor' leaves a lot of wiggle room with the word 'obvious'," he added.

Few other details are known about the next Apple Watch at this point, and no components have leaked from the supply chain yet.

Apple has filed patents for a number of ideas that could eventually be included in an Apple Watch, such as a heart rate identification system, modular bands, haptic feedback band, and a band with a built-in charger. More significant health and fitness features could be added pending further FDA approvals.

Related Roundup: Apple Watch Series 9
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Top Rated Comments

D.T. Avatar
86 months ago
Wake me up, when the battery life will be at least 5 working days.
Psst, hey everyone come over here, OK, when this guy falls asleep ... let's NOT wake him up. I mean, even when the Apple Watch Series 8 lasts for a month. Seriously, everybody with me? Good.

Soooo, does anyone have a Sharpie?
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
86 months ago
Wake me up, when the battery life will be at least 5 working days.
Why? My Series 2 easily lasts me the full 18 hours, even then, I recharge when I need to. I don't need five straight days of battery life when Most charge their Watch daily as it is with the inductive Charger.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dwsolberg Avatar
86 months ago
Wake me up, when the battery life will be at least 5 working days.
I doubt this will happen any time soon, or perhaps ever. Every time a product is made, features are going to be balanced. For example, right now you can buy a smartwatch with more than 5 days of battery life, but it has an e-ink display. Apple chose a richer, more responsive display over better battery life.

There are others, too. If Apple wanted to build a bigger watch, it could also increase battery life. Apple could also make the display not turn on with a wrist raise to increase battery. They could remove GPS from the Series 2, and never add cell service to the watch. Apple is not making these choices because they value the features over the battery life. By not buying competing smartwatches, people are also making that choice.

I expect for the foreseeable future, battery life isn't going to stretch much beyond a full day because there are so many cool features to add. For example, it would be awesome to stream music without a phone during a workout. I'd love to make and receive calls without my phone (via Airpods). Same with getting email and texts without a phone. I'd like apps to run faster and independently of the phone. I'd like to be able to use Siri to control my smarthome stuff without a phone. The Apple Watch has a big emphasis on fitness, too. There are a lot of sensors that could be added the watch, and the sensors could be used for longer periods. The watch itself could also be smaller in thickness, have a brighter display, and louder speaker.

I expect that Apple values all of these features more than 5 day battery life.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mark34 Avatar
86 months ago
I also have a version 0 SS... still happy with it. GPS and greater water resistance was nice, but not enough to upgrade. To me, LTE is the holy grail. Not to make calls, though handy in a pinch. If in some circumstances I could just leave my phone at home and head out with my watch and know that I can remain connected for texts and emails.. that would be perfect. Disconnect without completely isolating myself. No big phone, no social media, no phone calls, but able to get important messages...Perfect.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nunyabinez Avatar
86 months ago
Still rocking the Series 0 and waiting for something that makes it compelling for me to change. I don't swim much, or need my watch in the shower and I tend to run on a treadmill, so nothing has done it for me yet.

I would like to have a reason for a new one, but not expecting it to happen.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MacFather Avatar
86 months ago
Deleted.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
maxresdefault

Apple to Launch New iPad Pro and iPad Air Models in May

Thursday March 28, 2024 11:07 am PDT by
Apple will introduce new iPad Pro and iPad Air models in early May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Gurman previously suggested the new iPads would come out in March, and then April, but the timeline has been pushed back once again. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Apple is working on updates to both the iPad Pro and iPad Air models. The iPad Pro models will...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18: What to Expect From 'Biggest' Update in iPhone's History

Wednesday March 27, 2024 11:10 am PDT by
At least some Apple software engineers continue to believe that iOS 18 will be the "biggest" update in the iPhone's history, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Below, we recap rumored features and changes for the iPhone. "The iOS 18 update is expected to be the most ambitious overhaul of the iPhone's software in its history, according to people working on the upgrade," wrote Gurman, in a r...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

Apple Releases Revised Versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 With Updated Build Number

Wednesday March 27, 2024 5:59 am PDT by
Apple on late Tuesday released revised versions of iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 with an updated build number of 21E237, according to MacRumors contributor Aaron Perris. The updates previously had a build number of 21E236. The revised updates are available for all iPhone and iPad models that are compatible with iOS 17 and iPadOS 17, but they can only be installed via the Finder app on macOS...
applephilschiller

Apple's Phil Schiller Works 80 Hours a Week Overseeing App Store

Wednesday March 27, 2024 2:03 pm PDT by
With the App Store and app ecosystem undergoing major changes in the European Union, The Wall Street Journal today shared a profile on App Store chief Phil Schiller, who is responsible for the App Store. Though Schiller transitioned from marketing chief to "Apple Fellow" in 2020 to take a step back from Apple and spend more time on personal projects and friends, he is reportedly working...