Three new Apple Watches are coming this year. The rugged model could be branded Pro, as Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman suggested in his latest Power On newsletter. With that in mind, the Cupertino company could also, once again, discontinue the Edition version in favor of this extreme sports option.
Most of what Gurman talked about in today’s newsletter he already reported – or other analysts also talked about. He thinks the Pro features of this upcoming Apple Watch will be a larger and more shatter-resistant display, enhanced hiking and swim tracking, longer battery life, and a heftier and rugged case made from a premium, nonaluminum metal material.
That smartwatch will be designed to appeal to extreme sports athletes and anyone who might otherwise buy a high-end Garmin sports watch for intense workouts. I also think its bigger screen, larger battery and metal design will make it attractive to anyone who simply wants the most advanced Apple Watch.
Gurman believes this Apple Watch will be called Pro to widen its product portfolio with pro models, such as the MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, iPhone Pro, and AirPods Pro. “That selling point is similar to the pitch for the current iPhone 13 Pro over the regular iPhone 13,” he explained.
In addition, Mark Gurman believes that this shift to a rugged Apple Watch will also mean the end of the Apple Watch Edition, as he remembers Apple’s shift from the $17,000 gold Apple Watch to stainless steel and titanium offerings.
Bloomberg’s journalist said this Apple Watch Pro will also feature the S8 chip – the same on the Apple Watch Series 7 and Series 6 models – and a new body temperature sensor.
About its price, Gurman thinks Apple could start closer to $900 or $999 due to its slightly larger display, new sensors, and higher-end materials.
Apple Watch’s Lower Power Mode still coming
Last but not least, Mark Gurman talked about his low-power mode prediction. Early this year, the journalist reported Apple was planning this new feature, which wasn’t announced during the WWDC 2022 keynote.
Now, he says the low-power mode is still in development and on track for release around the same time as the public version of watchOS 9 this fall. “If [iOS 16’s] Lockdown Mode is any indication, Apple has no problem launching more features than expected in its next slate of operating systems.”
Would you buy this new rugged Apple Watch Pro? Which features do you think it should have? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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