Apple Watch 10: All the rumors so far
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Update: Our Apple event live blog is up and running with our in-depth coverage of the Apple Watch 10 launch.
We're about to see the Apple Watch Series 10 (or Apple Watch X) launch, and we've been tracking down rumors about the improvements we’ll see over the Apple Watch Series 9 for months now.
Latest news
Updated September 7
? New leak suggests Apple Watch 10 could get a new ECG sensor capable of detecting sleep apnea.
? Apple may have accidentally leaked an image of the Apple Watch 10.
? The Apple Watch 10 may come in 49mm with flat screen edges like the Ultra series.
? Due to an ongoing legal dispute with rival Masimo, we still don't know whether the new Apple Watches will have blood oxygen monitoring.
? In addition to the Series 10, the Apple Watch SE 3 and Ultra 3 could be revealed on September 9.
? Apple has confirmed a launch event for September 9.
? Apple Watch X could get that big screen, but it may miss some other key features.
Apple has released a new Apple Watch every year since the original, so unless the company breaks tradition, the Apple Watch 10 will be announced during the Apple September event, which officially takes place on September 9.
Chances are, this highly-anticipated watch will launch alongside the iPhone 16 series. As far as naming goes, there's a chance the watch will be called the Apple Watch X as a nod to the 10th-gen iPhone X from 2017.
While we’ve seen no shortage of iPhone 16 rumors, we haven’t heard much news about the next-generation Apple Watch. That said, we’re guessing the Apple Watch 10 / Apple Watch X will receive upgrades for health tracking, communication and safety. It could also sport a redesign, or exclusive features via watchOS 11 (which you can download the public beta for now.)
There are also rumors that we will see the Apple Watch SE 3 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 released, too (here's how the Apple Watch 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 might compare). Read on for everything we know about the upcoming Apple Watch 10 release.
Apple Watch 10 cheat sheet: Biggest rumors
Release date prediction: September 2024
Price prediction: from $399
Design: Larger 2-inch display, thinner build and bezel, and a new magnetic band mechanism; Apple may replace the 41mm model with a 49mm option
Chip: S10 (likely to be similar to S9)
Features: Possible sleep apnea detection
Software: watchOS 11
Apple Watch 10: Possible price and availability
If there’s one thing about the Apple Watch 10 we’re the most certain of, it’s that the release date will follow the Apple September event 2024, officially scheduled for September 9 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT.
As is the case for the iPhone, Apple releases at least one new smartwatch every year. Recently, the company has even launched multiple versions of the Apple Watch, giving customers more options to choose from.
That said, the flagship Apple Watch 10 or Apple Watch X will likely start at $399 for a 41mm-sized model based on previous pricing. The larger 45mm version will probably start at $429. For cellular support, which lets your Apple Watch optionally work untethered from your iPhone, Apple will expect customers to spend $499 for the 41mm size or $529 for the 45mm size.
Apple Watch 10: Design
Although the general appearance of the Apple Watch has remained the same since the original, small changes every few generations have made the device more modern-looking. Whether it's intentional or not, Apple has followed a three-year cycle for these changes. The last time it altered the Apple Watch design was for the Apple Watch Series 7 when the display grew by 20% — this was three years ago.
That means the Apple Watch 10 may be due for a more drastic change than we saw between the Apple Watch Series 9 vs. Apple Watch Series 8. According to the latest intel, we won't see the long-rumored switch to MicroLED displays. Instead from what we have heard so far, we can expect to see a thinner case on the new design. This insight comes from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who's provided a number of accurate Apple tips in the past.
The displays may also grow from 41mm and 45mm to 45mm and 49mm, according to a report from Ming-Chi Kuo. The Apple analyst claims the Apple Watch 10 will have "larger screen sizes" and while he didn't offer any elaboration, leaked CAD renders suggest that it could be 2 inches in size.
While this would mean the Watch 10 has the largest screen of any Apple Watch so far, Mark Gurman claims the largest may be closer in size to the Apple Watch Ultra.
The display may also sport a flat edge, similar to the Ultra series, rather than a rounded edge, according to leaker Majin Bu. The bezel may also see a size reduction.
A rumor from Apple leaker Kosutami implies that the band connection system in the Apple Watch will get a complete redesign this year. That could mean all existing watch bands will be incompatible with future releases like the Apple Watch 10. This change seems like it could upset users with extensive watch band collections, so we're interested to see if Apple takes this risk and what solution it pitches.
Apple Watch 10: Features
The Apple Watch 10 will adopt the best core features of the Apple Watch: comprehensive workout tracking, support for hundreds of apps, convenient on-wrist communication, safety tools and more. The question is what kind of new features will be special for the latest version of the Apple Watch.
For the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple debuted an innovative navigation gesture called Double Tap. Double Tap for Apple Watch lets you do things like answer calls and pause timers by tapping your index finger and thumb on your watch hand together twice. This feature is made possible by the S9 processor, which is the most powerful Apple Watch chip to date.
Earlier rumors pointed to the Apple Watch 10 or Apple Watch X prioritizing health upgrades. According to Bloomberg, Apple’s next-generation wearables will monitor and alert for signs of sleep apnea and hypertension.
Sadly Mark Gurman at Bloomberg believes that these features may be delayed, due to poor reliability during testing. On top of that Sleep apnea tracking relies on the blood oxygen sensor, which may be held up due to the legal battles with health-tech company Masimo.
Unless the upcoming smartwatch gets a new blood oxygen sensor that differs enough from the one at the center of the dispute, reading and analyzing SpO2 data might not be possible for the Apple Watch 10. And with it may go sleep apnea monitoring.
We also shouldn't expect to see Apple Intelligence on the Apple Watch 10 or the upcoming Apple Watch Ultra. Apparently AI features will be limited to iPhones, iPads, Macs and possibly the Vision Pro for the immediate future.
Apple Watch 10: Battery life
At the top of every Apple Watch user's wishlist is a longer battery life. The flagship Apple Watch only lasts up to 18 hours with normal use, while the Apple Watch Ultra 2 lasts up to 36 hours. Although the low power mode and our guide on tips to make your watch last longer help, we'd all like to see better battery life estimates.
According to a report from The Elec, a battery life boost could finally happen for Apple Watch 10. Apple is apparently looking to include low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) thin-film transistor (TFT) technology on the device's display, which could significantly improve the display's power consumption. Ideally, even at the same current brightness level, the watch will last longer than previous versions.
Apple Watch 10: Outlook
We have little doubt the Apple Watch 10, Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch X — or whatever Apple names it next smartwatch — will be one of the best smartwatches of the year. But rivaling smartwatches are better than ever, and with the Masimo lawsuit looming, all eyes are on Apple to see how it marks the 10th anniversary of its category-leading smartwatch.
