Apple Watch Series 10 to Get Larger Displays, Thinner Design, New Chip [Gurman]

Apple is preparing a significant update to the Apple Watch Series 10 model which will feature larger displays, a thinner design, and a new chip, according to leaker Mark Gurman.

In an email to subscribers, Gurman notes that the Apple Watch is nearing its tenth anniversary. The smartwatch was unveiled in 2014 but was not released until 2015. He is uncertain whether Apple will brand this year's new model as an anniversary edition or wait until next year. However, some major upgrades are expected.

Both versions of the Series 10 — codenamed N217 and N218 — will get bigger screens. The change means Series 10 shoppers will be able to pick a screen that's about as large as the one found on the Apple Watch Ultra. The Ultra itself, meanwhile, won't get a major design change (but the current one only dates to 2022). There will be other enhancements under the hood. Both the Series 10 and new Ultra 3 will get a new chip, which could lay the groundwork for some AI enhancements down the road. But if you're hoping for the device to run Apple Intelligence — the upcoming suite of AI features — you should reset your expectations. For now, that service is only headed to the iPhone, iPad and Mac. Later, it will come to the Vision Pro, but there are no plans to bring the full initiative to the watch.


Addressing the long awaited health updates, Gurman says the technology to detect high blood pressure and sleep apnea were set to release this year, but the effort hasn't gone smoothly. The technology to measure high blood pressure (hypertension) hasn't be as reliable as hoped during testing. That could postpone its release. Additionally, there have been some concerns about the feature working with the new Series 10 design. Even when launched, the high blood pressure feature is not expected to provide an actual reading; rather, it would just let you know if your blood pressure is high relative to your baseline.

The sleep apnea feature is said to be facing even bigger challenges. That functionality is tied to your blood oxygen saturation which Apple can't measure right now due to its ongoing legal dispute with Masimo Corp. The company could make a legal argument that the oxygen reader can be used for purposes not directly related to blood oxygen, or it could announce the feature with a future release date. Alternatively, Apple could launch new sleep apnea features internationally and only bring them to the United States once its legal issues are resolved.

Apple is also working on glucose monitoring for Apple Watch. Some major milestones have been hit, but that is a longer-term goal.

On the production side, Apple is testing the use of 3D printed chassis for some models. That would speed up production and result in less material waste. Additionally, a new low-cost Apple Watch SE model is purportedly in development. To get costs down, the company has tested swapping out the aluminum shell for rigid plastic.


Gurman's predictions corroborate leaked renders that allegedly reveal the design of the upcoming Apple Watch Series 10, or Apple Watch X. Check out those leaked renders here. There are currently two slightly differing predictions regarding the sizes of the upcoming Apple Watch Series 10. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts a 4mm increase in display size for the new models, suggesting an expansion from 41mm and 45mm to approximately 45mm and 49mm. In contrast, 91mobiles claims the new display size will be around 2 inches or 51mm.

Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for more Apple Watch updates.