Apple has big plans for the Apple Watch, ranging from new health features to a completely new design. Read on as we recap three things to expect from the upcoming Apple Watch as soon as later this year.
New design
Apple is reportedly working on a new Apple Watch design, a refresh that could be dubbed the “Apple Watch X.” Apple announced the Apple Watch in September 2014, so we are approaching the 10-year anniversary. Mark Gurman has described this as the “biggest overhaul yet” to the Apple Watch.
The new design will reportedly be thinner and use a new magnetic band system. Yes, this means your existing Apple Watch bands won’t be compatible with the new “Apple Watch X” design.
Meanwhile, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently reported that Apple is prepping a redesigned Apple Watch for 2024 that features a larger display and thinner chassis. Kuo says that the Apple Watch sizes will increase from the current 41mm and 45mm sizes to about 45mm and 49mm respectively.
Whether the new “Apple Watch X” debuts in 2024 remains to be seen. It could end up being pushed to 2025 as Apple continues development and finalizes production. It’s unclear if the redesign described by Kuo is the same “Apple Watch X” revamp that’s been reported by Gurman.
Blood pressure
Apple has been working on bringing blood pressure monitoring features to the Apple Watch since the very beginning. According to Bloomberg, however, Apple will finally achieve that goal this year.
The next Apple Watch model will reportedly feature a blood pressure sensor for the first time. The key aspect of Apple’s first implementation is that it won’t show the user their exact systolic and diastolic readings.
Instead, the feature will show blood pressure trends over time, similar to how the body temperature feature on the Apple Watch currently works. If the user’s blood pressure trends upward, they’ll receive a notification alerting them to the change. The feature will also prompt the user to journal about what was happening when their blood pressure spiked.
Apple is still working on a system that can give exact blood pressure numbers, but “those enhancements remain far off.”
Sleep apnea detection
Another upcoming Apple Watch feature is sleep apnea detection. This feature, coming as soon as this year, will work similar to most other Apple Watch health features: it will alert users to the potential of a problem and suggest they go to a doctor for additional testing and a diagnosis.
Bloomberg reports that Apple Watch’s sleep apnea detection feature will monitor the user’s sleeping and breathing “to predict if the person has the condition.” Currently, detecting sleep apnea requires an overnight sleep study in most cases. If the Apple Watch is able to play a role in that process, it will be a dramatic step forward.
Wrap up
It’s unclear right now whether the all-new Apple Watch X will launch in 2024 or 2025. That being said, blood pressure monitoring and sleep apnea features are rumored to launch this year. Apple could likely debut those features independent of the Apple Watch X’s redesign.
On a longer-term timeline, Apple is also still working on blood glucose features for the Apple Watch. This technology, however, isn’t expected to debut for years.
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