Apple is getting ready for a notable revamp of its smartwatch, marking the first major change in years. But this year's model won't bring drastic changes. The upcoming Apple Watch release, expected later this year, will offer minor updates, while more significant alterations are being saved for next year. Apple might step away from its yearly smartwatch update pattern to deliver devices with more impactful enhancements over prior versions.
Last year's standout addition to the Apple Watch Series 8 was a body temperature sensor. A year earlier, the display size was increased. Keeping consumers interested with substantial reasons to buy new smartwatch models annually has proven challenging for the company. Unlike last year's release of the Watch Ultra, this year's offering won't be as impressive.
In honor of the device's 10th anniversary, Apple is said to be developing the Watch X for next year. It's expected to feature a slimmer design and a novel magnet-based strap attachment system. The current attachment design takes up space that could otherwise house a bigger battery or other components, but it enables compatibility with older straps.
There have been rumors about Apple adopting microLED displays for its smartwatches, but this technology is costly and relatively new. Apple has also long aimed to integrate a blood pressure sensor into the watch, which might finally come to fruition with the Apple Watch X.
