Your Apple Watch Series 8 might not get a rumored improvement after all

Apple Watch Series 7 (Image credit: Stephen Warwick / iMore)

What you need to know

Apple's rumored third display size could be exclusive to the rugged Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch Series 8 sizes look set to remain 41mm and 45mm.
Those wanting an even larger Apple Watch will need to go rugged.

Those hoping that their next Apple Watch will offer a bigger display might be out of luck if a new report is accurate. If so, previous rumors of a third, larger display being added to the Apple Watch Series 8 lineup could turn out to be wrong.

Recent reports had Apple Watch Series 8 gaining a third size, one that was larger than the previous 41mm and 45mm options. And while reports of a larger Apple Watch might have been on point, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is now suggesting that the extra-large offering will be reserved for an all-new Apple Watch variant. A new rugged Apple would could be the recipient of a new display, making it easier for people to read while on the go.

Gurman, writing for Bloomberg.

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.

Note that the numbers in the quote above are the diagonal measurements of the display used in the Apple Watches, not the case size that Apple markets them as.

That would appear to suggest that the replacement for the Apple Watch Series 7 will come with the same 41mm and 45mm options.

Both new wearables are set to get the same S8 chip and a body temperature sensor, according to the report.

If all goes according to plan Apple will announce its best Apple Watch alongside that rumored rugged version and a refreshed Apple Watch SE in or around September, around the same time it also outs the new iPhone 14 lineup. If you're not interested in Apple's latest and greatest wearable then you might well be able to save a chunk of money with next week's Prime Day Apple Watch deals.

There's always Amazon

The newest flagship Apple Watch

Apple Watch Series 7

Bigger, brighter, slightly better

You can buy the Apple Watch from Amazon if you prefer. Just remember you may be limited to only certain band combinations and models on Amazon. Plus, it's possible they will have less stock than buying from Apple directly.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.