The original Apple Watch was released in April 2015, and we are coming up on the 10th anniversary of Apple's first wearable device. With such a landmark anniversary on the horizon, rumors are coalescing around a notable 10-year anniversary update that we could see in 2024 or 2025.
Apple in 2017 unveiled the "iPhone X" to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, so Apple may have similar plans for the Apple Watch.
Design
Apple is planning for a thinner version of the Apple Watch, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, and the slimmed down Apple Watch casing will debut in 2024. The ultrathin 2024 iPad Pro serves as a model for Apple's upcoming design philosophy, with the company planning to offer "the thinnest and lightest products" in each category across the tech industry.
The 2024 Apple Watch Series 10 will have a thinner body and will come in larger screen sizes, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts. Kuo expects the Series 10 to be available in 45mm and 49mm sizes, up from the current 41mm and 45mm size options. Both sizes are expected to have the thinner design. To highlight the larger display, Apple may introduce new Apple Watch faces.
CAD renders of what might be the next-generation Apple Watch surfaced in June, allegedly depicting a larger model with a two inch display, which is a bit bigger than the 1.93-inch Apple Watch Ultra.
The dimensions are said to measure roughly 46 x 39.7 x 11.6mm, so that would be a bit larger than the Series 9 but smaller than the Apple Watch Ultra. The design seems to have the same Digital Crown and Side Button, and it is overall similar to the Apple Watch Series 9. There is no evidence of a notably slimmed down case or a magnetic band attachment system, both of which have been rumored for the device, so the CAD renders may not be accurate.
Water Resistance
Apple could improve the water resistance of the Apple Watch Series 10, certifying the device for high-speed water sports up to 20 meters deep. The new Series 10 models may get the Depth app, which was first introduced for the Apple Watch Ultra.
Bands
Apple is said to be working on new ways for bands to attach to the Apple Watch, according information that Gurman shared earlier this year. A magnetic attachment system that Apple is considering would free up space that is taken up by the cutouts for the current band attachment points. Removing the band cutouts would provide more space for other internal components, which could lead to the slimmer case.
An Apple Watch with a new band attachment system would likely not be compatible with older bands. Since the 2015 launch of the Apple Watch, Apple has made sure that new Apple Watch models continue to be compatible with existing bands.
It is not yet clear if the magnetic band system will be ready for debut with the Apple Watch X, nor if Apple will move ahead with plans to change band design. Gurman's latest rumors about the 2024 Apple Watch did not mention the magnetic band attachment system.
Display
The Apple Watch X might feature an updated OLED display that is more power efficient, leading to improvements in battery life.
Logic Board
The next-generation Apple Watch is expected to feature resin-coated copper, allowing for a thinner logic board and supporting improved durability and water resistance. Thinning down the logic board would allow for additional internal space for other components.
S10 Chip
Apple plans to add a faster S10 chip to the Apple Watch Series 10, and while the Apple Watch will not get "major" Apple Intelligence capabilities, there could perhaps be AI features tied to a future health coach service, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Health Features
Apple is reportedly planning to include an updated heart rate and ECG sensor in the Apple Watch Series 10 that will enable new features like sleep apnea detection. Sleep apnea detection has been long rumored for the Series 10, but it was unclear if it would be implemented at launch because of an ongoing patent dispute that has seen Apple disable blood oxygen detection in the current-generation Apple watch models in the U.S.
Sleep apnea causes a person to stop breathing while asleep, which can lead to excessive tiredness. It is usually diagnosed through a sleep study, and fixing it requires a breathing apparatus like a CPAP machine. The Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2 will reportedly be able to detect sleep apnea using Apple Watch sleep tracking, providing a reading after collecting sleep data for several days.
Apple wanted to add blood pressure monitoring, but was not able to get the feature locked down in time for it to launch this year. When hypertension monitoring does launch, the Apple Watch will not be able to give specific systolic and diastolic readings, but will instead inform users if their blood pressure is trending upward.
Apple is also trying to create an Apple Watch that can measure blood glucose, but that technology is further off and would probably not be ready in time for the launch of a 10th anniversary watch. Apple wants to measure blood glucose without needing to prick the skin (using infrared and other sensors), but no one has figured out how to do that reliably as of yet. Glucose monitoring is life or death and needs to be super precise, which is tough to do without breaking the skin.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has said it's functionality that will be coming to the Apple Watch closer to the end of the decade.
Release
Gurman says it is not yet clear if Apple will release the new watch in 2024 or 2025. The original Apple Watch was unveiled in September 2014, but it did not release until April 2015, so Apple could use either date for the Apple Watch anniversary.
With the Apple Watch Series 9 available now, an Apple Watch Series 10 or "X" would be more appropriate for 2024, not 2025, but the X naming is just speculation at this point. We are indeed expecting a "Series 10" in 2024.
Apple plans to introduce the next-generation Apple Watch at an event that will likely be held on September 9, with a launch to follow on September 20.
