Apple Inc.’s next-generation smartwatch will push the limits in a key area; the number of information users can handle seeing at once.
The company is increasing the screen size of its new models dubbed the Series 7, it will be rolling out new watch faces that will take advantage of the extra real estate, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Apple is expected to unveil the new lineup as soon as this month.
The watches will be marketed as 41mm and 45mm, an increase from the current 40mm and 44mm versions, according to the people, who requested anonymity as the specs are not public yet.
Those sizes refer to the vertical dimension of the case, the new screen itself when measured diagonally, will be about 1.9″ on the larger model, up from 1.78″. The bigger model will have a resolution of 396 by 484, versus 368 by 448 on the model it’s replacing. That increase means the device will have about 16% more pixels, allowing it to show more so-called complications, an industry term for the bits of information that appear on watches. The smaller model will see a similar jump, but both the watches will have thinner borders around the screens.
To take advantage of the new display size, Apple has developed a series of new watch faces for the device, at least some of which may ship with the new model, following are some of features:
- A new face, dubbed Modular Max, will show the time digitally alongside one small complication, showing information such as the day of the week, outside temperature or quick access to an app, along with larger complications that span the length of the screen stacked on top of one another below. This is an upgrade from the current Infograph Modular, which shows only one large complication.
- A world time watch face, called Atlas and World Timer internally, will let a user see all 24 time zones simultaneously. An external dial shows the time zones, while the inner dial shows the time in each location. Users will be able to choose to see the time in either digital or analog. This watch face is similar to ones popularized by Patek Philippe, Breitling and Vacheron Constantin.
- A face dubbed Continuum will change based on the flow of time and current hour.
- Apple is also working on new faces for its Hermes and Nike-branded Apple Watches. The Hermes version has numbers that change hour by hour, while a new Nike face features numbers that move based on a person’s motion.
Apple has only done this for the second time in the history of its Watch Series, the last time we witnessed a bump in screen size was with the launch of the Watch Series 4 in 2018.
Apple is not alone in embracing a nearly 2″ screen, Oppo put a 1.9″ display last year on its namesake device, which looks similar to the Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch Series 7 will get other upgrades, the new models will feature a faster processor and a redesigned new case with flatter edges. The new screen is designed with a new lamination technique that brings the display closer to the cover glass.
That, among other issues, has led to production hiccups that could possibly delay the shipping date of the Series 7 or result in supply shortages at launch.
While Apple is redesigning the device for this year, it is also planning more expansive changes and new health features for 2022, the company aims to release a new low-end Apple Watch SE, a rugged model geared towards extreme sports users, and update to the flagship model. It is also planning to add a body-temperature sensor as early as next year’s model as per Bloomberg News.
Further in the future, Apple also plans to add a noninvasive blood-sugar monitor and blood-pressure checker to the device, according to people with knowledge of the plans.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported that the device would gain a blood-pressure feature and that the thermometer could be used to help with fertility planning. Apple has steadily added new health functionality over the past several years, including a heart-rate monitor, electrocardiogram feature, and a blood-oxygen sensor.
The Apple Watch is also part of the company’s push to let users store their official IDs on its devices. It announced this week that several states, including Arizona, Connecticut, and Georgia will let residents add their driver’s licenses or state IDs to the wallet feature of the Apple Watch or iPhone.
Source: Mark Gurman via Bloomberg
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