Already in 2021, several sources claimed that the next Apple Watch would sport a more rectangular design, inspired by that of the iPhone 12. In the end, Apple had not changed anything except the size of the screens. And for 2022?
Will the Apple Watch be entitled to a new design, only a year after an evolution which had seen the screen expand by curving at the edges? Already in 2021, all the “leakers” seemed to agree that the Apple Watch Series 7 was going to borrow its flat edges from the iPhone 12, to give more consistency to the range. The rest is known, Apple has finally kept the rounding of previous generations, which suggests that they have crashed all along the line. It is not in the habits of Apple to upset its plans at the last moment.
Since May 16, this rumor has returned. The “leaker” ShrimpApplePro is the first to have said so, before being joined by Jon Prosser, who was already behind it last year. It’s possible they’re both wrong, but it’s still a cohesive lead.
The Apple Watch Series 8, really?
Just a year after offering Apple Watch Series 7 with a curved screen and rounded edges, Apple is reportedly set to launch an Apple Watch Series 8 this fall. Is this track simply plausible? Apple is known for not taking design risks. A change usually lasts several generations, which makes us very dubious about abandoning the Series 7 design after only one generation. However, the fact that serious journalists like Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman mentioned this design in 2021 leads us to believe that it really exists.
Apple is rumored to be releasing three watches this fall. In addition to the Apple Watch Series 8, a new Apple Watch SE and a reinforced Apple Watch, for the daredevils, would be on the program. If the Apple Watch SE is unlikely to benefit from a new design, why not the reinforced Apple Watch? Without a curved screen, this new design would undoubtedly be more resistant. We wonder, however, how this product would be less fragile than a previous generation Apple Watch, which may suggest that our theory is false.
Last year, we had heard this rumor for months before finally being surprised when the Apple Watch was announced. Are we heading towards the same scenario? Answer in a few months, probably in September.