Apple is reportedly planning to launch not one but three different Apple Watch models this year, including an expensive $900 ‘rugged’ smartwatch. Writing via the PowerOn newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman claims Apple Watch is getting a ‘Pro’ model that features a larger size and increased protection.
“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,” Gurman writes.
When it comes to rugged and cutting-edge fitness smartwatches, Garmin is the brand to beat. While the Apple Watch does excel on the fitness tracking front, it pales in front of high-end Garmin watches that provide detailed biomechanical measurements. Athletes prefer a Garmin watch and not an Apple Watch. But that’s going to change significantly with the Apple Watch Pro. In other words, the ‘pro’ version of the Apple Watch is designed for extreme sports activities.
The Apple Watch Pro could have a bigger screen, larger battery, an S8 chip and a body temperature sensor. Expect this watch to have a shatter-resistant display, enhanced hiking and swim tracking, and a rugged case made from a premium, nonaluminum metal material. Gurman believes the upcoming Apple Watch ‘Pro’ will mark the end of the Apple Watch Edition, which has never gotten the attention from consumers it deserves.
The idea behind the rugged ‘Pro’ Apple Watch model, as it seems to appear, is intended to make a high-end version of Apple’s best-selling smartwatch that consumers buy. Think of what the ‘Pro’ branding has done to the iPhone. In some ways, this makes sense, as Apple customers are already familiar with what the Pro moniker means for an iPhone.
Apart from the Apple Watch Pro, Cupertino will launch two more models later this year. One would be the standard Apple Watch Series 8 and another one will a brand new Apple Watch SE. However, Apple might face rather tough competition from Samsung which is also rumoured to launch a Galaxy Watch Pro 5 in August. The selling point of Samsung’s rumoured smartwatch could be its more rugged design and titanium case. The Galaxy Watch Pro 5, just like Apple’s rugged model, is expected to get a larger battery and a higher price.
