What you need to know
- Apple is planning to release a rugged edition of the Apple Watch this year.
- The new edition will feature a larger display, bigger battery, and metal casing.
- The screen size will increase by seven percent and feature a resolution of 410 by 502 pixels.
The details of the rumored rugged version of the Apple Watch keep on coming.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to launch an "extreme sports" edition of the Apple Watch Series 8 this fall. It will be a completely new edition added to the Apple Watch lineup and debut alongside the standard Apple Watch Series 8 and update to the Apple Watch SE.
According to the report, the rugged edition of the Apple Watch will get a larger display, bigger battery, and metal casing.
Apple Inc. plans its largest smartwatch display to date, a bigger battery, and a rugged metal casing as part of the upcoming Apple Watch geared toward extreme sports athletes, according to people with knowledge of the plans.
The display of the rugged version will be increased to almost two inches diagonally, a seven percent increase of the current largest size. The report says that the resolution of the new display will be 410 by 502 pixels.
It's currently unclear exactly what kind of metal Apple will use in the rugged edition of the watch, but it's likely to be a lighter material since it is being marketed toward extreme sports users. It's also unclear what kind of boost in battery life users can expect.
Gurman goes on to say that the standard Apple Watch Series 8 and update to the Apple Watch SE will both retain their current screen sizes.
The rugged version of the Apple Watch will get a screen that measures almost 2 inches diagonally, while a new, standard Apple Watch Series 8 will keep the 1.9-inch diagonal screen size of the current Apple Watch Series 7. A planned update to the low-end Apple Watch SE also will retain the current screen size.
The new Apple Watch edition will certainly be a hit for anyone who has beaten the crap out of their current watch doing more extreme sports or needing extended battery life for things like hiking, backpacking, and marathons. The company is certainly targeting the segment of smartwatch owners who currently opt for other brands like Garmin.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is expected to be announced alongside the iPhone 14 at an event in September.
If you're happy with the features that the Apple Watch Series 7 and current Apple Watch SE offer, check out our list of the Best Apple Watch deals for Prime Day 2022.
