It was previously reported that the Apple Watch Series 8 would ship with a body temperature sensor to detect fever, but only if the upcoming smartwatch would pass the company’s internal testing. Sadly, an update to that report is that no new hardware is coming to future Apple Watch versions in 2022, but at least customers will see multiple physical changes, as you will soon find out.
Apple Watch Series 8 Will Not Sport Flat Edges Like Current iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, but Physical Changes Are Still in Tow
With no new sensors expected for the Apple Watch Series 8, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman writes in his Power On newsletter that the biggest changes we will see are physical. He states the following information below as to what to expect from the lineup later this year.
“I’m told that the high-end model is going to be a good bit bigger than the standard Apple Watch—big enough that it might only appeal to a subset of customers. The screen will be about 7% larger, and the device will have a fresh look—the first time the company has introduced a new Apple Watch design since 2018. It will be an evolution of the current rectangular shape, and not circular. It also won’t have those rumored flat sides (for those who will undoubtedly ask). In terms of materials, the watch will have a more durable formulation of titanium to make it extra rugged.”
A total of three Apple Watch Series 8 versions are rumored to launch later this year, with the one model to look out for being the ‘rugged’ variant, which could be called the Apple Watch Pro and is rumored to be the most expensive out of the three. Unlike the other versions, this one could tout a rugged casing, making it more durable and hence, usable in extreme conditions. Unfortunately, there might not be enough units going into mass production of this version, likely due to its high price tag, with an earlier report claiming that only one million of them will be shipped.
With the Apple Watch Series 8 not getting treated to new sensors, it is safe to assume that blood pressure and glucose monitoring will not make the cut either. Fortunately, future iterations will arrive with the aforementioned hardware, but for 2022, we should keep our expectations low. Another area where we should not expect much is the chipset, as the Apple Watch Series 8 is reported to ship with the same SoC as the Apple Watch Series 7 and Apple Watch Series 6, though that silicon will likely have a different name.
Are you disappointed that the upcoming smartwatch will not get new sensors? Tell us down in the comments.
