The “rugged” version of Apple’s smartwatch may be revealed later this year.
Apple is rumored to be working on a new version of the Apple Watch that’ll be geared toward extreme sports. The more “rugged” Apple Watch will feature a larger display screen, longer battery life for workouts and a protective metal case, according to a report Wednesday from Bloomberg, which cited people with knowledge of the company’s plans. The new Apple Watch will reportedly be unveiled later this year.
The larger watch screen will reportedly measure approximately 2 inches diagonally, be more shatter-resistant and will have around 7% more screen surface than current Apple Watches. This will be the third time Apple has increased the screen size of Apple Watches since they debuted in 2015. With the increased screen size, the rumored extreme sports Apple Watch would offer consumers one of the largest screens on the market.
Changing the case to a “strong metal material” instead of aluminum and including a larger battery are the other main changes geared toward extreme sports enthusiasts. Apple will reportedly unveil two other updates in the Apple Watch Series 8, a standard Apple Watch and a lower-end Apple Watch SE, both of which will keep their current screen size. The entire series of watches will run on an S8 processor, according to Bloomberg.
The new rugged Apple Watch is expected to be more expensive than existing standard stainless steel Apple Watches, which start at $699.