Rumours suggest that the Apple Watch Series 7 could look dramatically different from the Series 6 at launch.
That could all change with the Apple Watch Series 7, with rumours suggesting we could be seeing a redesign of the popular smartwatch when it’s released, possibly later this month.
There are also whispers about MicroLED tech, a display technology that first made an appearance on the iPad Pro 2021 range, and it could possibly offer blood glucose monitoring too.
Here’s all there is to know about the Apple Watch Series 7 right now, from the possible latest release date to the latest design and feature rumours.
When will the Apple Watch Series 7 be released?
Traditionally, Apple tends to release its yearly Apple Watch update alongside new iPhones in September, but that all changed in 2020.
Aside from hosting a virtual event in place of the grand in-person event the company usually hosts – not a big surprise during a pandemic – Apple announced the new Apple Watch alongside the new iPad range, not the iPhone. In fact, with three Apple events in as many months in late 2020, it seems Apple is leaning into the nature of virtual launches.
Regardless of whether it’s online or in-person, Apple has launched Apple Watch updates in September for the past four years, so we’re confident that it’ll stick to the same schedule with the Apple Watch Series 7.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman seems to think so, suggesting in an early September 2021 edition of his Power On newsletter that the Apple Watch Series 7 will be revealed alongside the iPhone 13 at the Apple event, which is now confirmed to air on Tuesday 14 September 2021 at 6pm BST/1pm EDT/10am PDT.
Apple has registered new smartwatch models with the Eurasian Economic Commission under A2473, A2474, A2475, A2476, A2477 and A2478, suggesting that release is indeed close, likely alongside the iPhone 13 in the next few weeks.
Whenever it does appear, it could be in short supply - according to separate reports from Nikkei and Bloomberg. Both publications report that critical challenges in small scale production tests have hauled production while Apple and its suppliers work towards rectifying the issue, which could both potentially delay the eventual release of the watch and make it available in small quantities at first.
If you don’t want to wait for the Apple Watch Series 7, take a look at our selection of the best smartwatches.
How much will the Apple Watch Series 7 cost?
Although it’s not always possible with currency value fluctuations, Apple likes consistency when it comes to the pricing of its products. That’s largely true of the Apple Watch, although the price has admittedly fluctuated a bit in the UK in the past few years due to the value of GBP.
That said, we expect the Apple Watch Series 7 to cost a similar amount to the Apple Watch Series 6, starting at £379/$399 for the 40mm version and £409/$429 for the 44mm version with an aluminium body and sports band.
Like with previous generations of Apple Watch, the company is expected to sell higher-end variants made from stainless steel and other premium materials too.
If you’re on the hunt for savings on the Apple Watch, our colleagues at Macworld UK cover the best Apple Watch deals.
What to expect from the Apple Watch Series 7
- Redesigned form factor
- Micro LED display
- Blood glucose monitoring
- Upgraded processor
- Improved battery life
If rumours are to be believed, the Apple Watch Series 7 could be the most interesting refresh for quite some time.
Redesigned form factor
The initial rumour came from the ever-accurate analyst Ming-Chi Kuo during an early September 2020 earnings call with investors. Per 9to5Mac, the analyst claimed that the Apple Watch being released in the second half of 2021 could feature a "significant form factor change" although he didn’t provide any specific details about what that might entail.
He shared renders of the expected redesign, which were created in collaboration with @RendersbyIan based on leaked photos of the upcoming wearable, so they may not be totally true-to-life, but it gives us an idea of what to possibly expect.
Apple Watch Series 7 in collaboration with @jon_prosser pic.twitter.com/AtfxgwSIOM
— Ian Zelbo (@RendersbyIan) May 19, 2021
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggested in August 2021 that the new Apple Watch will sport "a bit of a redesign with flatter displays", and 91mobiles published CAD renders of the watch the following day that looks very similar to Prosser's renders, so it looks increasingly likely that a redesign is on the cards.
The redesign will also allow for slightly larger dimensions, with Weibo leaker UnclePan suggesting that the Apple Watch Series 7 will come in larger 41mm and 45mm variants, up from 40mm and 44mm respectively.
The good news is that despite the slight increase in dimensions, the leaker suggests that the new Apple Watch will be compatible with existing 40mm & 44mm watch straps - so don't throw that collection out just yet.
Mark Gurman followed up again in early September 2021, reiterating the rumoured 41mm and 45mm variants of Apple Watch while also sharing new details about the wearable. Per Gurman, the larger model will measure in at 1.9in diagonally, up from 1.78in on the 44mm Series 6. There's also a 16% boost in pixel density with a resolution of 396 x 484, up from 368 x 448, and the bezels that surround the display will be thinner than previous entries too.
Gurman further suggests that new watchfaces will be announced to complement the new design, with one called Modular Max allegedly offering the time, a small complication and multiple larger complications that "span the length of the screen stacked on top of each other below".
The Apple Watch has, fundamentally, stayed the same since the release of the first Apple Watch back in 2015. The Apple Watch Series 4 saw a reduction of bezels and more screen real estate, and there has been a bevvy of sensors added to the smartwatch over the years, but it has kept the same square form factor.
Switching up the design to something sleeker and more modern would be an easy way not only to tempt those who have never had an Apple Watch before but also existing owners looking for something new and exciting.
It’s also likely that Apple will introduce a slate of new colours alongside the redesigned Apple Watch – the company has been experimenting with more vibrant colour options of late with the Product (RED) and Blue variants of the Series 6 of late, after all, and Jon Prosser suggests the new model could come in a similar hue to the green iPad Air too.
New display tech
One way that Apple could change the form factor of the Apple Watch would be to reduce its thickness – and with rumours suggesting the new Apple Watch could feature a MicroLED display, that’s now a possibility.
A 2019 report claims the MicroLED tech could be making its way to the Apple Watch, although the report did originally claim it was to make an appearance on the Series 6 in 2020 so it’s worth taking this with a pinch of salt.
Of MicroLED’s many benefits compared to the OLED tech currently used on the smartwatch, it’s much thinner, which could lead to an overall reduction in the wearable’s form factor.
A report from ETNews claims that both Apple and Samsung are gearing up to include a blood glucose sensor in upcoming smartwatches, with the aim of being able to alert diabetics when their blood sugar levels are dropping.
When it comes to the Series 7, it has been suggested that Apple will include a skin-top monitoring solution that doesn't require an implant, reportedly instead "focusing on securing reliability and stability prior to commercialization of the technology".
That's backed up by a report from The Telegraph, which found SEC filings that confirm Apple is currently the biggest customer of Rockley Photonics, a company that specialises in sensors that track blood sugar, blood pressure and even alcohol levels. In fact, Apple has been the company's biggest source of revenue for the past two years.
That by itself is interesting enough, but when paired with rumoured comments from the Rockley Photonics CEO suggesting the technology would be in consumer products from 2022, it seems increasingly likely that a blood sugar monitor - if not something more advanced - could make an appearance in the next Apple Watch.
In relation to that, a report from Bloomberg points to features like a skin temperature sensor arriving as soon as this year's Apple Watch, while more complex functionality, like the blood sugar monitoring, still being "several years away."
A June 2021 report from Chinese site Economic Daily News suggests that Apple will take advantage of the extra space provided by the smaller S7 chipset not with new glucose monitors, but improved battery life.
In fact, sources suggest Apple has made the decision to push back the introduction of new sensors in favour of improving battery life, a feature that would tempt existing Apple Watch fans to make the upgrade.
This was backed up by a separate supply chain report from Chinese site UDN weeks later, which also suggests that the extra space from the slimline S7 would be used to increase battery capacity.
The Apple Watch has offered 18 hours of battery life since its inception, and when other smartwatches offer multi-day battery life, it's arguably one of the weak points of Apple's wearable. If true, we could see the first increase in battery life on an Apple Watch ever when the Series 7 makes an appearance.
Alongside a redesign, it’s expected that the Apple Watch Series 7 will sport an upgraded processor and possibly more internal storage too.
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