Thursday, December 26, 2024
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Apple Watch line may see a major update next year (including a durable sports edition)

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says Apple will revamp its entire Apple Watch line-up next year. That includes introducing a new, more rugged, model for athletes.

He says we’ll see (of course) the Apple Watch Series 8 and a new Apple Watch SE with a slight redesign and more health features. The sports edition of the smartwatch will feature a “ruggedized” design that may feature a case that’s more resistant to scratches, dents, falls, and more, according to Gurman.

A March 2021 report at Bloomberg said that Apple is considering making a rugged Apple Watch for extreme sports. It would be targeted at athletes, hikers, and others who use the device in extreme environments. Bloomberg said Apple is considering its “Apple Watch Extreme” (my suggested name, not the publication’s) in this year’s smartwatch update or in 2022.

Am I into “extreme sports”? No. But I do play softball, basketball, volleyball, run (in extreme conditions), swim, hike, etc., so the more rugged my smartwatch, the better it would be. And, of course, being a klutz, I’m always banging my Apple Watch into something just walking around the house. 

According to Engadget, the Apple Watch Extreme is known internally (at Apple) as the “Explorer Edition” and would reportedly be offered as an additional model, possibly like the Watch SE or special edition models co-branded with Nike and Hermes. It would purportedly have the same features as a regular Watch but could be extra resistant to impact like Casio’s G-Shock lineup (pictured), with a rubberized case in place of the current steel, aluminum and titanium shells. 

m I into “extreme sports”? No. But I do play softball, basketball, volleyball, run (in extreme conditions), swim, hike, etc., so the more rugged my smartwatch, the better it would be. And, of course, being a klutz, I’m always banging my Apple Watch into something just walking around the house. 

According to Engadget, the Apple Watch Extreme is known internally (at Apple) as the “Explorer Edition” and would reportedly be offered as an additional model, possibly like the Watch SE or special edition models co-branded with Nike and Hermes. It would purportedly have the same features as a regular Watch but could be extra resistant to impact like Casio’s G-Shock lineup, with a rubberized case in place of the current steel, aluminum and titanium shells. 

Dennis Sellers
the authorDennis Sellers
Dennis Sellers is the editor/publisher of Apple World Today. He’s been an “Apple journalist” since 1995 (starting with the first big Apple news site, MacCentral). He loves to read, run, play sports, and watch movies.