By no means a bad or unpopular product, as proven by its reviews and sales numbers, last fall's Apple Watch Series 7 felt like a somewhat underwhelming upgrade over its similarly successful forerunner to those who were looking forward to a more radical redesign.
As it turns out, said redesign will almost certainly come to pass with this year's Apple Watch Series 8, but that might not be the most exciting thing the world's leading smartwatch vendor has planned for a September unveiling as far as this particular industry is concerned.
If all the latest rumors are to be trusted, Apple is prepping not one and not two but three main wearable devices for a joint fall 2022 launch, including a long overdue second budget-friendly Watch SE edition and a highly anticipated extreme sports-centric model detailed at last by a trustworthy source.
Rugged body, large screen, and extended battery life
You know that third Apple Watch Series 8 size rumored by well-connected analyst Ross Young just a few days ago? While we obviously can't be sure of, well, anything for the time being, it sounds a lot like this unnamed new rugged Apple Watch edition could get the expanded display area instead.
Of course, there is a chance Apple will simply add some sort of a suffix (maybe Pro or Max) to the Series 8 moniker for this extra-robust version, expected to rock a "strong" metal case rather than a "standard" aluminum construction and a sharp screen measuring "almost" 2 inches diagonally.
If you think the Series 7 is big, wait until you see Apple's upcoming rugged timepiece.
However it'll end up being called, the gigantic intelligent timepiece is tipped to offer roughly 7 percent more screen real estate than the already massive Apple Watch Series 7 while retaining the same "overall sharpness" and going up to a resolution of around 502 x 410 pixels.
In case you're wondering, the XL 45mm Series 7 sports a 1.9-inch or so display with a resolution of 484 x 396 pixels, but fret not, as Apple's first-ever rugged smartwatch aims to also improve battery life by, well, enlarging the battery under its "strong metal" hood.
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Meanwhile, the specifics of the rugged design are largely (and predictably) kept under wraps for now, but one thing you can be certain of is that the big and sharp screen on this bad boy will also handle drops on hard surfaces better than previous "standard" generations.
More sensors, more fitness data, more money
Given its target audience, it's not hard to guess what the extra screen real estate on the rugged 2022 Apple Watch will mainly be used for. We're talking in-depth activity tracking, all kinds of super-advanced fitness metrics, workout plans, and most likely, a user's body temperature as well.
With more sophisticated sensors and health monitoring tools than ever, but especially a "more shatter-resistant" screen than ever and a robust construction likely to rival Garmin's best (and strongest) outdoor-friendly smartwatches, the price point could become a problem for the Apple-loving masses.
Apple's first-ever rugged smartwatch could be costlier than a stainless steel Series 7 (pictured here with a Milanese Loop.)
The only thing that Bloomberg's Mark Gurman mentions in this make-or-break department is that the "higher-end watch" expected to see daylight this fall could cost more than your "standard stainless steel Apple Watch" variant, which kind of makes perfect sense.
That essentially opens the door to any price tag starting from around $750, which might prove a tough sell if "all of the new Apple Watches" (SE 2 included) will indeed pack the exact same S8 processor delivering similar overall performance as last year's S7... and the S6 before it.
Then again, that's unlikely to be a key focus area for the professional athletes and extreme sports fans targeted by a device rumored at one point to go official under the Apple Watch Explorer label... by the end of 2021.
Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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