Upcoming ‘Rugged’ Apple Watch to Have Larger Screen, Metal Chassis and More: Report

According to a report from Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a more rugged version of the Apple Watch with a larger screen, an all-metal chassis, and more battery.

Gurman previously reported that Apple is gearing up to launch three new Apple Watch models this fall: the Series 8, a new low-end SE model, and a rugged edition.

The reporter’s sources said the new watch is designed for extreme sports athletes and will offer enhanced fitness tracking. Apple did bake several new fitness features into watchOS 9, which the company unveiled last month.

Gurman believes the new 1.99-inch display we previously reported was coming to one of this year’s Apple Watches is intended for this new model. The screen will have a 410 x 502 resolution, retaining the same clarity as the largest current Apple Watch.

Apple is expected to go for a stronger metal material instead of aluminum for the chassis of the rugged edition watch. It will also sport a more shatter-resistant screen, along with a larger battery than existing models.

In addition, Gurman said the new rugged Apple Watch will feature a body temperature sensor capable of detecting a fever. It will share the new functionality with the Apple Watch Series 8.

All of this year’s new Apple Watches will be powered by a new S8 chip. They won’t get much of a performance uplift, though, given the S8 will offer the same processing power as the S7 chip in last year’s Series 7, which itself was essentially the same as the Series 6’s S6.

Gurman expects the rugged model to be priced higher than the standard stainless steel Apple Watch. As for availability, Apple should announce all of this year’s new Apple Watch models alongside the iPhone 14 in September.

P.S. - Like our news? Support the site with a coffee/beer. Or shop with our Amazon link. We use affiliate links when possible--thank you for supporting independent media.