If you’ve been waiting to buy an Apple Watch Ultra to see what the second generation brings, you might not have to wait much longer. In a quick reference in the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman predicts that the second generation of the Apple Watch Ultra will arrive later in 2023.
“In addition to the iPhone 15 lineup this fall,” Gurman writes, “there will be two Apple Watch Series 9 models and an updated version of the Ultra (the watches are codenamed N207, N208, and N210). ” Previous rumors had suggested that the Apple Watch Ultra would be on a similar update schedule to the Apple Watch SE, which launched in 2020 and got its first refresh in 2022.
The first-generation Apple Watch Ultra launched in September 2022, alongside the Series 8 models. While the company’s previous smartwatches were refreshed on an annual basis (except for the complication factor of the SE and Ultra models (every Apple Watch since Series 3 has appeared punctually a year after its predecessor), it was widely expected at the time that the Ultra would follow a different pattern. With its higher price and more durable design, many thought it would be refreshed once every two years, hoping that owners would be less inclined to upgrade so often.
Again, this reflection echoes an equally misguided reaction to the first Apple Watch Edition models. Expensive watches, analysts reasoned, are meant to be heirlooms that you keep for generations; but that doesn’t make sense with smartwatches, whose hardware becomes obsolete in three to five years. Apple therefore continued to produce new generations of its Edition Watches as frequently as the cheaper models until the arrival of the Apple Watch Ultra in 2022 (although it admittedly ditched the 18k gold case in favor ceramics).
The thing is, anyone spending $799 or $13,000 on a high-end smartwatch will want state-of-the-art components to go with the glossy and/or rugged exterior. Annual refreshes still make sense for the Ultra, even if it’s not the same people buying every year. It’s unclear what Apple would change about the Ultra, but there have been rumors of a new S9 chip and a bigger screen.
However, there are still a few months to go and Apple’s plans for its fall releases are unlikely to be set in stone yet. Besides, Gurman, although usually knowledgeable, is not infallible, and his sources could be wrong. Although his specific knowledge of codenames inspires some confidence.
Whatever the fate of the Ultra 2, several Apple products are in the works for the end of the year. As usual, the iPhone 15 will be the centerpiece of the September event, and we’re sure to get the Apple Watch Series 9 as well. As for the new Macs, iPads, and AirPods, Gurman suggests that they might not arrive until 2024.
Finally, while Vision Pro will still be a long way from launch even in the fall, Apple can hardly ignore it completely. We’ll likely hear some sort of update on progress toward Cupertino’s biggest launch since the original Apple Watch in 2015, and arguably the first iPhone in 2007.
