Remember how Apple skipped the iPhone 9, and launched the iPhone X?
According to new rumors the company could be about to do the same with Apple Watch. But there are varying opinions on when this will happen.
A report by analysts Omdia alleges that this will happen next year, on the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch. And it reckons there are some big changes planned for 2024’s Apple Watch line-up.
We already reported on rumors that Apple will refresh the Ultra 2 with new screen tech in 2024, but Omdia goes further.
“In 2024, the Series 8 and 9 (1.71/1.92 inches) will evolve to Series X (X meaning tenth) with a bigger screen (1.89/2.04 inches). The displays will have the same supplier, LG Display, and take LTPO backplanes,” read the Omdia report.
“Apple Watch SE 2 series will evolve into the SE 3. Its screen sizes will be the same as Series 8 and 9 (1.71/1.92 inches), and the LTPO OLED panel supplier will be JDI," it continues.
“Apple might announce the product in late 2023 to commercialize it in 2024,” the report concludes.
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The report also backs up recent speculation that Apple will launch its MicroLED displays in 2024 with the Ultra 2.
“The biggest evolution will be the Apple Watch Ultra 2 in 2024, which will adopt a new Micro LED display. The panel size is 2.13 inches with 325 PPI; therefore, the resolution will presumably be 540x440 or 556x452,” the report states.
How likely is this to happen? It seems plausible and tallies with previous rumors.
The Omdia report implies that Apple may announce these products in late 2023, and launch in 2024.
We’d treat these rumors with extreme skepticism – but if Mark Gurman is correct that few significant improvements are likely, maybe it will wait for new screen tech to land.
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James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.