Apple Watch Series 7 models are equipped with a new module that enables 60.5GHz wireless data transfer, according to FCC filings viewed by MacRumors, but this functionality may be reserved for Apple's internal use only for now.
The filings indicate that the 60.5GHz module is only activated when the Apple Watch is placed on a proprietary magnetic dock with a corresponding 60.5GHz module, but this dock will likely be reserved for use by Apple employees. For example, it's possible that Apple Stores might use the dock to wirelessly restore an Apple Watch, and if so, it will be interesting to see if Series 7 models still have a hidden diagnostic port for wired connectivity.
The dock has a model number of A2687 and it is powered by a USB-C port, according to the filings, which were first spotted by Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O'Malley. The filings were submitted in late August and made available last week.
Here is the FCC label image for the dock:
It's unclear how fast the Apple Watch's wireless data transfer would be, but our understanding is that USB 2.0 speeds up to 480 Mbps might be possible. It's also unclear if the technology will ever be made available as a consumer-facing feature on the Apple Watch or other Apple products in the future, such as a long-rumored portless iPhone.
Apple hasn't announced a release date for the Apple Watch Series 7 yet, and there still isn't a tech specs page for the new models on the company's website. Apple has only said the Series 7 models will be "available later this fall."
Monday October 27, 2025 7:55 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
The upcoming iOS 26.1 update includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones, including a toggle for changing the appearance of the Liquid Glass design, "slide to stop" for alarms in the Clock app, and more.
Below, we outline key details about iOS 26.1.
Release Date
Given that Apple has yet to seed an iOS 26.1 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, the...
Monday October 27, 2025 4:51 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple is designing an updated version of the Apple TV 4K, and rumors suggest that it could come out sometime in the next couple of months. We're not expecting a major overhaul with design changes, but even a simple chip upgrade will bring major improvements to Apple's set-top box.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
We've rounded up all the latest Apple TV rumors.
...
Wednesday October 29, 2025 4:22 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple is about to drop iOS 26.1, the first major point release since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least six notable changes and improvements to look forward to. We've rounded them up below.
Apple has already provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of iOS 26.1, which means Apple will likely roll out the update to all compatible...
Monday October 27, 2025 9:15 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple this month refreshed the 14-inch MacBook Pro base model with its new M5 chip, and higher-end 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips are expected to follow in early 2026. However, these machines will represent the final update to the current design, with Apple reportedly developing a completely new version of the MacBook Pro packed with next-generation hardware...
Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:07 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, macOS Tahoe 26.1, tvOS 26.1, watchOS 26.1, and visionOS 26.1 updates for testing purposes. The RCs betas come a week after Apple released the fourth betas.
The new betas can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software...
Friday October 24, 2025 2:30 pm PDT by Juli Clover
In the fourth iOS 26.1 beta, Apple added a "Tinted" option that reduces the translucency of Liquid Glass for those who prefer a more opaque look. I saw some comments wondering whether the setting might preserve battery life, so I thought I'd do some testing.
Test Settings
I did four separate tests using the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and I kept the parameters as similar as possible. Here are the...
Monday October 27, 2025 7:41 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
You will "soon" be able to add a digital version of your U.S. passport to your iPhone, according to Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.
Bailey reiterated that the feature is coming soon during her keynote at the Money20/20 USA conference in Las Vegas on Sunday.
On its iOS 26 page, Apple says the delayed feature will be "coming later this year."
Apple's...
Monday October 27, 2025 4:01 pm PDT by Juli Clover
For the 10th anniversary iPhone that came out in 2017, Apple introduced the iPhone X with Face ID, notch, and minimized bezels, providing more display space than ever before. The 20th iPhone anniversary is approaching and Apple wants to take the iPhone X design even further.
We're two years away from the 2027 iPhone, but it's tough for Apple to keep major changes under wraps. We've rounded...
Tuesday October 28, 2025 1:21 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Apple today provided developers and public beta testers with the release candidate version of macOS Tahoe 26.1, which means the update will likely see a public launch next week.
The release candidate includes notes on what's in the update, so we have a full picture of the new features that Apple has included.
macOS Tahoe 26.1 adds AutoMix support over AirPlay, improved FaceTime audio...
For reference, 802.11ad wireless offers 10 Gbps data over 60 GHz wireless, 802.11ay is up to 40 Gbps over the same frequency. Those are called Wigig and offer short range but high speed data and it could replace wired connections if reliable enough.
I wonder what would be the possible use of that. It’s not like Apple Watch stores that much data locally.
The transmission speed has been rumored for a couple of years now for Apple’s AR goggles/glasses because WiFi and Bluetooth are too slow for the amount of date needed. While this is totally expected for the iPhone, which will probably be needed to tether to the glasses, the revelation that the protocol is included in the Apple Watch tells us two things. The glasses may be coming sooner than later (next year probably before September) and that the watch can be used to control the glasses. Note that the glasses may not have multiple methods of communication to hold costs down, so they may have needed to add to the watch to avoid giving the glasses Bluetooth or some other low-speed alternative.
So this is how they are going to add data transfer to MagSafe and ditch the lightning port altogether. Personally I’d rather they just add a stupid C port to the phone already
