In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman fleshed out his expectations for Apple’s upcoming higher-end Apple Watch. The analyst threw some possible names out there, including ‘Apple Watch Pro’ and ‘Apple Watch Explorer Edition.’
According to Gurman and reports from other sources, the Apple Watch Pro is set to get a larger display covered by a more shatter-resistant glass, enhanced fitness tracking, a body temperature sensor, and more battery life.
The watch will reportedly be encased in an all-metal chassis made out of something stronger than aluminum — Gurman believes titanium is a good bet. He said Apple may be looking at 46mm or 47mm for the case size.
That smartwatch will be designed to appeal to extreme sports athletes and anyone who might otherwise buy a high-end Garmin sports watch for intense workouts. I also think its bigger screen, larger battery and metal design will make it attractive for anyone who simply wants the most advanced Apple Watch.
The analyst also said a titanium body would put the Apple Watch Pro on an even playing field with Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Watch5 Pro, which was spotted sporting an all-titanium case in detailed renders earlier this week.
Samsung’s Galaxy Watch5 Pro will offer a choice between an LTE or Bluetooth-only variant, while the high-end Apple Watch will only be available with cellular connectivity.
The new display will supposedly be a 1.99-inch screen with a 410 x 502 resolution. Gurman reiterated that he expects Apple to launch three new Apple Watch models this fall: the Series 8, a new low-end SE model, and a high-end extreme edition.
The base model Series 8 will get a display upgrade as well, along with the new body temperature sensor. All of the new models will feature a new S8 chip under the hood. Performance, however, will be on par with Series 6 and Series 7.
Gurman also speculated on pricing for the Apple Watch Pro. Given the $849 USD starting price of the current Apple Watch Edition, which Apple will likely discontinue after the Apple Watch Pro launches, the analyst estimates the latter will start somewhere around $900-999 USD and likely higher in Canada after foreign exchange rates taken into consideration.
