Can you believe that Apple’s smartwatch, simply called the Apple Watch, has been a feature of our lives since 2015? In that bracket of time, the Watch’s general look hasn’t altered all that much – but the situation could change significantly with the launch of the Series 8, expected in late 2022.
It has been suggested that the next Watch could incorporate a new flat-sided chassis, to align it with other products from the Cupertino firm. The first Apple Watch had rounded sides reminiscent of the iPhone 6’s, but almost every Apple device since then has shifted to a flat-sided aesthetic with minimal bezels.
There would therefore seem to be a good chance of the same being the case with the 2022 Apple Watch, presumably similar to previously leaked images assumed at one point to depict 2021’s Series 7 instead of the Series 8.
In the event, Series 7 was widely regarded as a modest upgrade for the Watch, given the only slightly expanded display and the lack of any new health features. This might heighten the likelihood of the Series 8 representing a major change, given the pattern of Apple device updates in the past.
Some speculation has suggested that the Series 8 will indeed get new health features alongside its new design. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has been among those suggesting that Apple is considering temperature sensors that could alert users to abnormal body conditions – such as an onset fever – prior to symptoms even showing.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, though, has said that we may need to wait another year to get a body temperature sensor on an Apple Watch, and that the next few Watch iterations may instead prioritize design changes and enhanced battery life.
It has also been reported, however, that we could still get an all-new entry-level version of the Watch and a rugged sports variant, sooner rather than later.
Time will tell on these rumors – but needless to say, excitement over what the Watch Series 8 could bring is now firmly building for Apple fans.
