Apple is just a few months away from launching the Apple Watch Series 8 and it could be the firm’s biggest wearable yet, in more ways than one.
According to a supply chain source, Apple has been working on an Apple Watch Series 8 with a 1.99-inch display. That seems massive compared to the current models.
It would essentially be a 50mm Apple Watch, measured diagonally, compared to the current largest model, which is 45mm. It’d also be a bigger leap from the older Apple Watch sizes, which were 40mm and 44mm respectively.
According to the display analyst Ross Young, Apple could choose to offer a brand new version of its smartwatch in three sizes; 41mm, 45mm and 50mm. In a tweet reply on Monday, Ross, the CEO of Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC), said: “New size is larger, 1.99.”
This could play into reports over the weekend from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman who said there’ll be a new rugged version of the Apple Watch Series 8 “aimed at extreme sports athletes”. Could that be the 50mm version of the Apple Watch?
Gurman also believes this tougher Apple Watch, and the standard edition, will have a body temperature sensor that “will be able to sell if you have a fever.”
He wrote: “In April, I reported that Apple has been aiming to add body-temperature detection to its Series 8 model, assuming the capability passes muster during internal testing. I now believe the feature is a go for both the standard Apple Watch Series 8 and a new rugged edition that’s aimed at extreme sports athletes. It’s unlikely to be available in the new version of the lower-end SE, which is also coming this year.”
Elsewhere, Gurman said the Apple Watch is unlikely to see a major bump in processing performance. The S8 expected to power the device is likely to match the S7, which matched the S6. The Apple Watch Series 8 is likely to launch alongside the iPhone 14 in September or October this year.
