A round up of the rumours and our wish list for the Apple Watch Series 7, due out in late 2021.
Why you can trust Pocket-lint (Pocket-lint) – Apple’s next smartwatch is due to appear before the end of the year, likely alongside the iPhone 13 range, and there has been plenty of speculation as to what might appear. Here’s everything we’ve heard so far about the Apple Watch Series 7, mixed with our wishlist. squirrel_widget_2745197 What will the next Apple Watch be called? Probably Apple Watch Series 7 Unlike the iPhone, Apple didn’t mess around with the Watch naming structure. Since the original was followed by the Apple Watch Series 1, the company has used sequential numbers every year. It is therefore highly likely we can expect 2021’s watch to be called the Apple Watch Series 7, succeeding 2020’s Apple Watch Series 6. We also saw the Watch SE launch in 2020, though it’s not yet clear if that will be refreshed every year. The new watch, or watches, will run Apple’s watchOS 8, which was previewed during Apple’s developer conference at the beginning of June. You can read all about the features coming to Apple Watch in our separate watchOS 8 feature. Apple Watch Series 6 vs SE vs Series 3: What’s the difference? squirrel_widget_2670421 Apple Watch Series 7 release date September 2021 Likely from $399/£379 Apple has announced it will hold its next special event on 14 September. Though it is not known what will be revealed at the event, the timing is in line with when the company typically holds its iPhone event, where the next iteration of the Watch is normally announced at the same time. There were reports of the Watch Series 7 being delayed, though these have since been dispelled with reliable Mark Gurman of Bloomberg claiming Apple is still on track. In terms of price, the Apple Watch Series 6 starts at $399/£379. We’d expect the same ballpark for the Series 7. Design Squarer edges like iPhone 12? Explorer Edition? The Apple Watch Series 4 made some big design changes in terms of display and the Series 5, Series 6 and Watch SE adopt the same design. The general style and shape remain the same as the original Watch, but the newer watches offer a lot more screen in similar footprints. It could be therefore, that the Series 7 offers some bigger design changes, given the Series 5 only added an always-on display and built-in compass, while the Series 6 added a blood oxygen sensor. Rumour has it a round watch face and wrap-around flexible display are being researched, but there’s also been talk of a squared-edge design for the Series 7, following in the same footsteps as the iPhone 12 models, iPad Air and the M1 iMac. It’s also said the display will be flatter and closer to the front glass, while the casing itself is said to be slightly thicker. The sizes are said to be changing from 40mm and 44mm to 41mm and 45mm and there is said to be a display increase from 1.78-inches to 1.9-inches. It is not clear if the current Watch bands will be compatible. A more rugged, “Explorer Edition” Apple Watch has also been mentioned, which might see some design changes. Rumours suggest it could come with a rubberised case. Features and specs Focus on fitness – more advanced features Better sleep tracking Improved battery life Smart straps In terms of features, we expect more health and fitness features on the Series 7, perhaps taking on the likes of Garmin with a recovery feature similar to Body Battery for example. Garmin also do a great job of enabling users to share their runs or activity so we wouldn’t be surprised to see Apple take a leaf out of this book. It’s claimed there will be a ‘Time to Run’ feature and Audio Meditations joining the ‘Time to Walk’ feature on Fitness+. We’d like to see battery improvements to match other smartwatches in the market and we’d also like to see more advanced sleep tracking on the Series 7, as well as roaming capabilities. Apple revealed sleep tracking as part of watchOS 7, meaning it is available on older Apple Watches too, but it isn’t as detailed as some other devices on the market. Perhaps some extra hardware on the Series 7 could put it up there with the Fitbit’s and Garmin’s. We know Respiratory Rate is coming with watchOS 8, but we’d like to see more than this. With watchOS 8, the Apple Watch will be able to unlock more. Rather than just being able to unlock your Mac and iPhone when a face mask is detected, it will be able ro act as a digital key for you home for example, if you have a compatible lock. Other possibilities for the Watch Series 7 could include things like smart straps, third party support for watch faces, a camera and Face ID or an under display fingerprint sensor, though we suspect the latter are wishful thinking rather than plausible additions, mainly due to lack of space for the sensors.
