In 2022, the Apple Watch Series 8 will replace the current Apple Watch Series 7 in the Apple catalog. After Apple denied the claims of the biggest leakers last fall and introduced an even more rounded Watch instead of a straight Watch, it’s hard to know what to expect from the Series 8.
Apple Watch rumors have traditionally been less common than, say, the next iPhone. The watch doesn’t have as many users, and Apple uses fewer suppliers to manufacture it, making it easier to control information leaks.
But the Apple Watch has been on the market for almost six years, so some trends can be predicted.
ICT Tac
The Tick-Tock cycle generally refers to alternating design or technology development, i.e. a change may occur one year yes, another no. It seems Apple has been using this method with the Apple Qatch, or at least since the Series 3.
Series 3 incorporated the version with mobile data and Series 5 brought the always-on screen.
The Series 4, on the other hand, brought a new large display and the ECG (electrocardiogram) sensor, while the Series 6 gave us the blood oxygen sensor.
What’s new in Series 7 is similar to the changes we saw in Series 3 and 5: a bigger screen and faster charging. It is therefore likely that we will see new health in the 8 series, as we did with the 4 and 6 models.
health sensors
Apple has distinguished itself by practically offering health care with its Apple Watch in recent years. The question now is what other health sensors will arrive with the Apple Watch Series 8.
glucometer
Apple spent years researching a non-invasive way to measure blood sugar. So far, we don’t know of any. portable
There are some startups who claim to be able to measure blood sugar without taking a blood sample, and even offer working prototypes. This is the case with the Japanese company Quantum Operations, which claims to be able to monitor blood sugar without the need for a blood sample, while the Dexcom G6 uses a small sensor under the skin to measure it.
Apple has been working with vendor Rockley for some time, which in the summer of 2021 announced that in the second half of 2022 it would begin distributing biosensors to measure various biomarkers.
Apple will not be the only one to offer this technology. According to Rockley, they already have the top five manufacturers of portable, which means that with its technology the company has convinced not only Apple, but also Samsung, Xiaomi and Huawei.
The company also has a relationship with Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, which wants to use Rockley Photonics products to monitor patients. This indicates that there are already usable prototypes.
But even being optimistic, it seems unlikely that this technology will reach the Apple Watch Series 8. More realistic would be to think that it will arrive on the Apple Watch Series 9 in 2023.
Temperature sensor
From the summer of 2021, journalists informed of Bloomberg said that Apple wanted to install a temperature sensor in the Apple Watch Series 8. This seems much more plausible than blood glucose monitoring, since there are already devices on the market that allow continuous temperature measurement (the Fitbit Sense and the Oura-Ring, for example). Example).
But the temperature measurement systems of the portable current ones have certain disadvantages.
On the one hand, the temperature of the extremities depends on how it is worn, deviates from body temperature and fluctuates considerably during the day. On the other hand, current devices only measure deviations from a so-called base temperature, which is recorded a few days earlier. It is therefore not possible to compare it with a commercial thermometer.
On the other hand, the temperature sensor of the next Apple Watch seems more realistic. If this new feature arrives, Apple will have added an additional health sensor, which will be a purchase incentive for the next generation. On the other hand, the technology is not as utopian as the non-invasive blood glucose sensor.
Design
The biggest unknown of the next Apple Watch is its design.
Images from last spring and summer showed a new look for the Apple Watch with straighter edges, which got a lot of buzz. But contrary to expectations, the new watch had even more rounded edges than before.
Some have suggested that Apple was forced to make last-minute changes to its plans due to manufacturing issues with the new design.
This has left some of us hopeful that the Series 8 will be the one to adopt the announced design changes for the Series 7. However, there are leaks indicating that the design of the next Apple Watch will not differ from the Series 7. .
Unfortunately, these rumors are probably true: Apple tends to keep the same design for several generations before changing it, and the Series 7 did have a design change (a slightly larger screen), even if it wasn’t the change that people were waiting for.
Moreover, this supposed new design would not be justified if it had to change for change: it is not known what problems a flat version of the watch would solve. In fact, it might even make it less comfortable to wear.
However, even though the design remains the same, changes are to be expected. Display expert Ross Young has predicted that Apple is planning a third display size for its Watch. It can hardly be reduced, so there is a good chance that there is an even bigger model. Maybe a special edition Watch Series 8 with a 49mm screen size.
This larger size would have other implications: Apple could include a larger battery, for example. Apple has improved the battery and, above all, the battery management in the last generations of Apple Watch, but the manufacturer has invested these additional energy resources in other areas: the always-on screen, the measurement of oxygen blood at night, noise detection, etc.
Apple is most likely working on battery efficiency and processors for the next generation of the watch. Coupled with a larger battery in the larger Apple Watch, that could be enough for a long-talked-about extreme or special model that aims to appeal to athletes with its greater battery life and ruggedness.
Softwares
next to the new Equipment, watchOS 9 should arrive alongside the next generation of Apple Watch.
A simpler update procedure is expected, possibly independent of the iPhone. Because even after seven generations you still need to download the update to a paired iPhone, place the watch on the charging base and only after the battery is 50% charged, the smartphone will transfer the new version of the operating system to the watch. It’s very heavy and slow.
In the new version of Software, we would like to see the arrival of updates live real watchOS 9 directly on the Apple Watch. Granted, it will still need to be plugged into the charging cradle, but there will no longer be a drain on the iPhone.
Do not get lost All the products Apple will announce in 2022 and all articles in this series:
Original article published in Macwelt.
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