Apple has registered several new Apple Watch model identifiers in the Eurasian economic database, as spotted by Consomac. The tech giant is expected to unveil new smartwatches at a September event that will also see the roll-out of new iPhones and the long-awaited AirPower wireless charger. All of the models run watchOS 5.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has predicted that the 2018 Apple Watch will have a 15% bigger screen in a “more trendy” form factor. He doesn’t say exactly how this will be accomplished or if the updated smartwatch will pack a bigger chassis.
Currently, Apple Watches come in 38mm or 42mm sizes. 9to5Mac notes that it’s possible that new form factor incorporates thinner bezels, which would see the Apple Watch Series 4 feature a larger display without making the overall product larger.
Kuo also mentioned a larger battery capacity, the addition of new sensors beyond heart rate monitoring, and lowering of prices of older models. The analyst predicts that Apple will sell about 22-24 million Apple Watch units in 2018, an increase of about 30% year-over-year. Longer term, Kuo expects Watch sales to reach 50 million units a year.
The Sellers Research Group (that’s me) can’t imagine an Apple smart watch with a screen that’s much bigger than the 42mm model. However, it could incorporate a 46.mm case with a 400 x 400 resolution such as the Movado Connect (pictured above).
