This year, the Apple Watch lineup celebrates its 10th anniversary. To mark this significant occasion, Cupertino planned to present a major update by releasing an anniversary model of its signature smartwatches. The Apple Watch Series X, as the new watches are rumored to be called, promised to be the most significant upgrade in recent years, offering users a range of exciting improvements and new features. However, it turned out at the last moment that Apple was unable to implement everything it had hoped to delight users with.
Design and Display of Apple Watch 10
According to available information, the Apple Watch Series X will feature slightly larger displays. It is expected that the screen size of the new models will be comparable to the current version of the Apple Watch Ultra and will measure 1.92 inches. At the same time, the watches will become thinner, although the overall design is unlikely to undergo radical changes: the characteristic protrusions and elements of the rugged watch lineup will not appear on the classic Apple smartwatches.
As in previous years, the anniversary Apple Watch lineup will consist of two models with code names N217 and N218. It is obvious that these are the compact and larger versions. Thus, no changes are expected within the lineup division. Even the case dimensions will likely remain the same. The additional 0.02 inches to the diagonal will be added by reducing the bezels around the screen.
Neural Network on Apple Watch
In addition to external changes, the Apple Watch Series X was planned to receive a significant technical update. Specifically, it is expected to feature a new, more powerful processor. This could form the basis for implementing some artificial intelligence functions in the future.
However, do not expect the new watches to support the full set of AI functions called Apple Intelligence, which is being prepared for release. At the moment, the neural network platform is only oriented towards the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and in the future, the Vision Pro.
There are no plans to implement the full set of artificial intelligence tools in the Apple Watch yet. It seems that the hardware is not powerful enough to handle the processing of large amounts of data on the device.
Apple Watch 2024 with Blood Pressure Measurement
Apple continues to work on expanding the health monitoring capabilities of its smartwatches, and one of the main innovations for the Apple Watch in 2024 was supposed to be the technology for measuring blood pressure and detecting sleep apnea. According to Bloomberg, numerous laboratory tests have been conducted in Cupertino, and these functions were expected to be introduced this year. However, the development process encountered certain difficulties.
Field tests of prototypes showed that the blood pressure measurement technology is not yet accurate enough to be released to the public. As a result, Apple is almost certainly postponing the launch of Apple Watch with a built-in tonometer for better times.
Even when this function is implemented, it will not replace a full-fledged tonometer. The mechanism will not provide precise readings like pulse or blood oxygen level measurement apps. Instead, the watch will determine the user’s baseline pressure level and track relative deviations, allowing it to record situations when the pressure increases. To truly measure blood pressure, a device with a cuff is required, and it is impossible to implement this in the compact Apple Watch.
When implementing sleep apnea detection, Apple faced even greater problems. This function is associated with measuring blood oxygen saturation levels. However, Apple Watch cannot currently perform such measurements due to an ongoing legal dispute with Masimo Corp. If you recall, this company sued Apple for allegedly using its patents in SpO2 determination and won. As a result, Apple Watch with a blood oxygen scanner is completely banned from being sold in the U.S. Since the American market is Apple’s primary market, it is obvious that all innovations will be oriented towards it first.
Apple is considering several ways to solve this problem:
- Settling the dispute by September (unlikely)
- Finding an alternative way to implement the function (difficult and time-consuming)
- Announcing it with a delayed release (simplest)
Plastic Apple Watch SE 2024
To reduce costs, Apple is also considering new production principles for Apple Watch. One of them should be the use of 3D printing to create watch cases.
It is likely that not all models will be printed, only the lowest-end one. This is indirectly indicated by Apple’s desire to release a plastic Apple Watch SE. Despite the apparent cost-effectiveness of aluminum as a material for manufacturing cases, its processing is actually quite unecological and leaves a carbon footprint.
Apple aims to reduce not only the harm its production causes to nature but also the cost of the device itself. This will allow more aggressive competition with budget smartwatches from other manufacturers, such as the Samsung Galaxy Watch FE priced at $199, while the current price of the Apple Watch SE starts at $249. A 20% discount will almost certainly attract a new audience and spur sales