Apple Watch 'Pro' May Feature Additional Physical Buttons for Workout-Related Functions
Leaker Sonny Dickson has shared another image of a third-party band-and-casing accessory allegedly moulded for the forthcoming Apple Watch Pro that suggests the Garmin-style rugged device could feature additional physical buttons on the left-hand side of the screen.
Aimed at athletes and hikers, the new Apple Watch Pro is expected to feature a new hard titanium chassis design with a larger screen, but until now rumors did not mention the inclusion of new buttons on the device, where the speaker vents usually reside. The case suggests at least one new button on the left, possibly beside a smaller round hole for a new speaker vent design.
Athletes and running watch wearers are generally known to prefer physical buttons over touchscreen controls since they are more responsive in rainy and inclement weather conditions, so the inclusion of new physical controls would make sense, should the cases prove accurate.
The Digital Crown and Side button cutouts on the right side of the screen also suggest these buttons will be more protruding than on other Apple Watch models.
The moulding of the accessory case and earlier images of similar cases also suggest that the screen will be flatter than previous Apple Watch designs and will sit flush with the flat edges of the main chassis, which tapers off into a more rounded body.
The Apple Watch Pro is likely to cost significantly more than the Apple Watch Series 8, which is expected to retain the same chassis design as the current Series 7. Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman suggests the new "Pro" watch could be priced in the range of $900 or $1,000.
Notably, Gurman believes the Apple Watch Pro will remain compatible with older Apple Watch bands. Both devices are expected to be announced on Wednesday at Apple's "Far Out" media event alongside a new Apple Watch SE, the iPhone 14 series, and AirPods Pro 2.
Popular Stories
Apple today confirmed to Reuters that it has acquired Q.ai, an Israeli startup that is working on artificial intelligence technology for audio.
Apple paid close to $2 billion for Q.ai, according to sources cited by the Financial Times. That would make this Apple's second-biggest acquisition ever, after it paid $3 billion for the popular headphone and audio brand Beats in 2014.
Q.ai has...
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon.
In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
In his Powe...
Apple recently updated its online store with a new ordering process for Macs, including the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iMac, Mac mini, Mac Studio, and Mac Pro.
There used to be a handful of standard configurations available for each Mac, but now you must configure a Mac entirely from scratch on a feature-by-feature basis. In other words, ordering a new Mac now works much like ordering an...
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models.
"All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
"Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today.
"I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
