David Imel / Android Authority
TL;DR
- The next Apple Watch will pack faster hardware but may lack several new health-tracking features.
- Dubbed the Series 7, the wearable may not feature body temperature or blood sugar sensors.
- However, Apple’s 2022 series may be the one to look out for.
The next Apple Watch line, presumed to bear the Series 7 name, will gain several design and performance upgrades. This is according to a new report by Bloomberg.
Per “people with knowledge of the matter,” the Apple Watch Series 7 may employ a display with thinner borders, a new laminate layer, and a slightly thicker body. This may allow the company more internal space for a larger battery or volume for additional hardware. On that note, the Series 7 is also expected to gain ultra-wideband (UWB) support too. A faster chipset is also expected, but Apple tends to use new silicon in each new Watch series.
That’s seemingly where the upgrades end, though. While a body temperature sensor was planned for release on the Series 7, Apple will reportedly hold off until the 2022 series. Apple continues to lag behind the likes of Fitbit in this regard. Blood sugar sensors are also “several more years” away, but no company has quite perfected this tech as yet.
A “rugged” Apple Watch in the works
If you thought the Apple Watch is too dainty to be taken off the beaten track, the company might have a product for you in 2022. A rumored Apple Watch targeting athletes is in the works. Believed to be a more rugged device to compete against the likes of Garmin and Suunto, it could come with an “explorer” or “adventure” tag.
Although Apple may be a little late to add tech to its wearable line, it shouldn’t be a major concern. The Apple Watch still lays claim to more than a third of all smartwatch shipments, according to Counterpoint. So even if Samsung and Google are planning a new Wear OS assault, and smaller companies beat it to the punch with implementing new tech, that detail is unlikely to change soon.
Apple traditionally launches its new Watch series in September, so expect to hear plenty of details about the Apple Watch Series 7 before then.
How do you think Apple’s next smartwatch will fare? Also, would you consider purchasing a rugged Apple Watch in 2022? Let us know by voting in the poll above.
