The Apple Watch Series 10 continues to be the subject of rumors and leaks as its 10th anniversary approaches, but the latest news may not be the most encouraging. According to Mark Gurman, the Apple Watch Series 10 will feature significant upgrades, including a larger display and a new chip, and it might also come with a special anniversary edition, possibly called Apple Watch X. So far, so good, right?
Unfortunately, Gurman also notes in his Power On newsletter that the Apple Watch Series 10 is not expected to have any design changes compared to the Series 9, meaning another year with an identical-looking smartwatch. Additionally, some reports suggest that the anticipated new health features will not make it to the Series 10.
As Gurman mentions in his Bloomberg report, it is unlikely that the Apple Watch Series 10 will differ much from the Apple Watch Series 9, although it should be thinner. Similarly, the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is not expected to get a new design this year.
According to our information, the next Apple Watch will still be offered in two case sizes, with the codenames "N217" and "N218". Both models will have larger displays, with one being nearly as large as the Apple Watch Ultra 2's display. Both models are also expected to come with a new processor that should outperform the S9 chip and potentially bring some AI improvements to the device, although a full integration of Apple Intelligence does not seem to be on the horizon just yet.
The most significant downside of this latest news concerns the apparent lack of new health tracking features anticipated for the Apple Watch Series 10. Apple's efforts to develop sleep apnea and hypertension detection features have faced challenges. These features were hoped to be ready for 2024, but according to Gurman, "Apple has encountered serious issues." The hypertension detection feature proved unreliable in testing, so it has been postponed to next year.
Regarding sleep apnea detection, the problem is not with the functionality itself but with its reliance on blood oxygen saturation, which Apple Watches are not permitted to measure in the U.S. due to a legal battle with Masimo. If the lawsuit is resolved by September, the sleep apnea feature could still be included in the Series 10. Otherwise, Apple will need to find a legal argument to allow the blood oxygen sensor to be used for purposes other than blood oxygen saturation detection. Given the circumstances, this feature is also likely to be delayed until 2025.