The Apple Watch has essentially remained the same since its inception back in 2014, but rumours suggest Apple is working on a big overhaul of its smartwatch behind closed doors.
Dubbed the Apple Watch X, it’s rumoured to be released sometime in 2024 or 2025 and in addition to a refreshed design, it’s said to boast a number of long-rumoured features including blood pressure monitoring and even microLED display tech.
Intrigued? You should be! We at Trusted Reviews have scoured the web to find out everything there is to know about the Apple Watch X at this early stage, and here’s everything we found, from early release date rumours to the first key rumours about the wearable.
When will the Apple Watch X be released?
If you were hoping to see the Apple Watch X appear in 2023, prepare to be disappointed.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who broke the news of the Apple Watch X’s existence, claims that the new smartwatch will likely appear in “either 2024 or 2025”. It’s worth noting that the original Apple Watch was first teased in 2014 before its release in April 2015, so a launch in either 2024 or 2025 would make sense for the X (10 in Roman numerals).
As for when exactly in either 2024 or 2025 we should expect the Apple Watch X to materialise, Apple tends to stick to a September release for its Watch range. In fact, with the exception of the first-gen Apple Watch and the Apple Watch Series 7, every single Apple Watch has been revealed in September.
It’s highly unlikely that Apple will change this for the Watch X unless manufacturing issues cause a slight delay, but it’s too early to talk about that kind of potential issue.
For now, expect the Apple Watch X to appear in either September 2024 or September 2025, though we’ll update this section if we hear anything different.
How much will the Apple Watch X cost?
There’s no word yet on just how much the Apple Watch X might cost, but we can certainly speculate. It all revolves around whether the Watch X is a direct replacement for the current watch range, or whether it’ll be placed as a middle ground between the Watch Series models and the top-end Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple did something similar with the iPhone X at launch in 2017 – rather than making it the defacto iPhone, it appeared alongside the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus as a slightly more expensive option.
If Apple does the same thing here, it’s unlikely that it’d cost more than the £849/$799 Ultra model, but it’ll likely cost more than the standard £419/$399 of the current Series 8. That means it could essentially cost anything between £419/$399 and £849/$799.
We will, of course, continue to update this section with pricing rumours as they begin to surface online.
What to expect from the Apple Watch X
Given the unique branding of the Apple Watch X that ties closely with the iPhone X, it suggests a significant redesign could be in store for the upcoming wearable. Apple’s smartwatch line has essentially remained the same since 2015 – bar a few tweaks to the display and chassis – so it’s something Apple fans will no doubt be excited about.
Of course, with release not slated until 2024 or even 2025, specifics are light on the ground right now – but that’s not to say there’s nothing about the Apple Watch X floating around online.
Thinner design with a new band system
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who lifted the lid on the upcoming Apple Watch X, described the upcoming model as the “biggest overhaul yet,” boasting a “thinner watch case”. He also suggests that designers have “explored changing the way bands are attached”.
Per Gurman’s sources with knowledge of the development, it’s claimed that while it’s easy to switch bands on the current models of Apple Watch, it takes up a lot of space on the wearable – space that could be better filled with a bigger battery of components.
With that said, Apple engineers are said to be tinkering with the idea of a new “magnetic band attachment system” though Gurman says it’s currently unclear whether this will be ready in time for the launch of the Apple Watch X.
MicroLED display
Mark Gurman also teases that the Apple Watch X could boast the long-rumoured microLED display – and the timeline does line up with previous predictions from Gurman and other industry analysts.
Sources including DSCC CEO Ross Young, analyst Jeff Pu and DigiTimes all point towards the use of microLED panels in the Apple Watch sometime in 2025, though none aside from Gurman have hedged their bets on it making an appearance on the Apple Watch X specifically. Not yet, anyway.
If true, these microLED displays are said to be manufactured in-house by Apple and should deliver a much brighter, more vivid display experience compared to the current OLED panels used in the Apple Watch collection.
Blood pressure monitoring
Whispers about Apple’s plans to bring blood pressure monitoring to the Apple Watch have been circulating for years, with the tech initially rumoured to appear on the Apple Watch Series 7. When it was clear that wasn’t the case, analysts pointed towards the Series 8. Yep, you guessed it, it never made an appearance on the Series 8 either.
However, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has long believed that the tech is still on the way despite teething problems and setbacks with development, claiming in April 2022 that it’d likely be available in 2024. That not only aligns with the release of the Watch X, but it’s a feature Gurman specifically mentioned in a recent edition of his Power On! Newsletter.
If Apple could achieve FDA certification for the tech – something that it is said to be aiming for – it could join a small list of other products that allow for quick, convenient blood pressure monitoring.
Blood pressure cuffs will still be considered the most accurate option, and if it’s anything like blood pressure monitoring on the Galaxy Watch 6 you’ll need one to calibrate the watch, but it could tip users off to possible issues before they escalate.
The current Apple Watch Series 8 can be considered a high-end health monitoring device with AFib detection, high and low heart rate alerts, skin temperature readings, blood oxygen monitoring and heart rate monitoring, but blood pressure could take things to the next level.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
