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Zhidong reported on July 8 that according to a Bloomberg report yesterday, Apple will make a major upgrade to its series of products on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of Apple Watch. The display of the watch will be larger, and the entire device will be thinner and lighter. Both the Apple Watch Series 10 and the new Apple Watch Ultra 3 will come with new chips, which may be paving the way for Apple's AI capabilities in the future.
According to sources, the Apple Watch health detection function has encountered some technical obstacles in the upgrade process, the blood pressure measurement function may only be able to display fluctuations in reality and cannot display values, and functions such as sleep apnea detection may not appear on the new product. The case material of the Apple Watch SE series products may be replaced by aluminum and hard plastic. The Apple Watch with such a plastic case may be sold at a lower price to compete with Samsung's cheapest watch, the Galaxy Watch FE.
In addition, Siri's new features may be delayed, and AirPods with cameras may come out in 2026.
1. Chip upgrade, bigger and thinner, Apple Watch 10th anniversary update?
Apple always likes to make big moves on product anniversaries.
In 2017, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, Apple launched the bezel-less iPhone X, which was a major update to the iPhone series of models (in order for this model to take effect, Apple skipped the iPhone 9). In 2011, on the 10th anniversary of the iPod, Apple couldn't celebrate it in a similar way, because the iPod was already on the decline. In 2020, the 10th anniversary of the iPad, Apple made some small adjustments to the iPad Pro.
Now, the Apple Watch is about to turn 10 years old, and this fall, Apple plans to make some updates and upgrades to the "Series" series, the size of the display will be larger, but the device will be thinner and lighter overall, and the design will not change much.
▲Apple Watch Series 9：Series 10会有多大不同？（图源：Apple）
Both versions of the Series 10 – codenamed N217 and N218 – will reportedly have larger screens. This change means that Series 10 buyers will be able to choose a model with a screen size comparable to that of the Apple Watch Ultra. At the same time, the Apple Watch Ultra itself will not make major design changes (but the current model only dates back to 2022).
Both the Apple Watch Series 10 and the new Apple Watch Ultra 3 will feature a new chip, which could lay the groundwork for some of the AI-enhanced features in the future. However, Apple Intelligence-related features are unfortunately absent from the Apple Watch update. Currently, the service is only available for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apple's AI features may be applied to the Vision Pro in the future, but there are no plans to introduce it to the Apple Watch in its entirety.
Considering that the Apple Watch was announced in 2014 but only officially released in 2015, it is not yet known whether Apple will release a major update for the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch this year or next year.
Second, the upgrade of the two health detection functions encountered Waterloo, and Apple fell into legal disputes
Apple has been working on technology to detect high blood pressure and sleep apnea, and it was originally planned that these features would be released this year. But the R&D process did not go smoothly. According to relevant sources, Apple has encountered some obstacles since last year.
The technology to measure blood pressure was not up to standard during testing, so the release of the feature may have to be delayed until next year.
There are still many doubts about this feature, and many people do not believe that the blood pressure measurement function can be used properly in the new Series 10 design. Even if it is eventually launched, it will not replace blood pressure monitors in consumers' homes. In fact, the blood pressure detection feature on the Apple Watch Series 10 doesn't give you an actual blood pressure reading — unlike the heart rate and blood oxygen detection features on the Apple Watch. Instead, it calculates your blood pressure numerical baseline and monitors your blood pressure fluctuations.
The second feature, sleep apnea detection, is more challenging. This function is related to the oxygen saturation value. At present, due to the ongoing legal dispute between Apple and Masimo Corp, the Apple Watch is not able to obtain the relevant values of the user's blood oxygen saturation.
If Apple can't resolve the dispute by September, the release of the Apple Watch Series 10 could be delayed.
Another long-term goal for Apple is to bring blood glucose monitoring to the Apple Watch. According to related reports, the feature has been in development for about a decade, and Apple has achieved quite a few things so far.
3. The new Apple Watch SE series may be the "lowest price in history"
In addition to the new features, Apple is also considering some changes in production.
Apple is continuing to discuss and test the introduction of 3D printing technology to make the shells of some models of the Apple Watch. 3D printing technology not only speeds up production but also reduces material consumption.
▲6月份的Apple开发者大会（图源：David Paul Morris/Bloomberg）
The company is also working on a new low-cost Apple Watch SE model, which was last updated in 2022. Apple wants to replace the shell material of the SE series from aluminum to hard plastic. Judging by this news, Apple may be looking to reduce costs to be more competitive and compete with Samsung's cheapest watch, the $199 Galaxy Watch FE, with this more affordable product. The current SE starts at $249.
Fourth, Siri upgrade will wait until next year, AirPods will be equipped with a camera?
A massive upgrade to Siri is expected to arrive next spring. Siri's new feature will be one of the highlights of the launch of Apple Intelligence.
At Apple's developer conference in June, the digital assistant debuting will be able to precisely control actions in Apple apps, meaning you can ask Siri to edit a photo and then send it to a friend. It will also be able to understand what you see on the display, helping Siri determine what you want to do based on the context. But according to sources, those upgrades may not come this fall.
Siri's features are reportedly likely to be in developer beta in January next year, followed by an announcement in the spring alongside iOS 18.4. Other Siri features, such as integration with ChatGPT, will be available later this year. Apple Intelligence will also appear on the Vision Pro next year.
▲苹果AirPods（图源：Gabby Jones/Bloomberg）
Last week, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that AirPods with cameras could go into production in 2026.
As early as February this year, relevant foreign media reporters reported that Apple is developing enhanced AirPods with built-in cameras. Codenamed B798, the idea behind this project is to use cameras in combination with AI to provide more information to the wearer. For example, AirPods can identify neighborhoods around the user and give them navigation.
The technology can also be used to identify objects and provide relevant information – a key selling point for AR devices.
Conclusion: The 10th anniversary update of Apple Watch has not yet been decided, but the more accessible SE series may become a dark horse
There are a lot of things about Apple Intelligence in the revelations about the 10th anniversary update of the Apple Watch, which shows that Apple's AI layout has been "moisturizing things and sounds", but because there is a time lag between the official announcement and the official release of the Apple Watch at the beginning of its launch, people are not sure about Apple's speculation about this update.
Looking at the relevant revelations of the Apple Watch 10th anniversary update, in addition to the upgrade of the chip, the screen size is larger and thinner, the change of the shell material of the SE series may bring out a "more affordable" Apple Watch, and the price will be lower. According to related reports, the Apple Watch SE, which is replaced with a hard plastic case, may be lighter and more comfortable to wear.
Source: Bloomberg