The ‘Apple Watch X’ is reportedly a major redesign, but it’s not coming this year

Apple is gearing up for a significant overhaul of its flagship Apple Watch, but this eagerly anticipated redesign won’t make its debut this year. According to Mark Gurman, a reputable journalist at Bloomberg, Apple is instead focusing on developing the “Apple Watch X” – a sleeker version equipped with magnetic watch band attachment points, a blood pressure sensor, and a cutting-edge microLED screen. Gurman suggests that we might have to wait until late 2024 or even 2025 for this exciting new iteration.

The current mechanical attachments used in all previous Apple Watches have been convenient for customers who can reuse their existing bands, but they consume valuable space that could otherwise be utilized to make the wearable smaller and enhance its battery life and internal components. The Apple Watch Ultra is a prime example of a device that sacrificed compactness for a larger battery.

Speculation has been rife about the introduction of a brighter, more vibrant microLED screen for the Apple Watch. However, this advanced screen technology is not only new but also incredibly expensive. Apple has faced numerous challenges in achieving a smaller, more affordable version of this technology for its smallest-screen device. Furthermore, there have been long-standing reports about Apple’s plans to incorporate a blood pressure sensor into the Apple Watch, which could coincide with the wearable’s 10-year anniversary.

Regarding this year’s Apple Watch, Gurman reaffirms previous reports that the Apple Watch Series 9 will feature a faster processor, marking the first speed upgrade since the introduction of the Series 6. However, it appears that the screen sizes will remain the same as last year, including for the 49mm Apple Watch Ultra. If this is indeed the case, it could mean a relatively minor update for the “Series” watches compared to last year’s model.