Just like with the iPhone, Apple wasn’t the first company to release a smartwatch. But ask most people to name one and they’ll probably say the Apple Watch.
First launched in 2015, the Apple Watch has undergone quite a transformation. There are currently three different models to choose from: the Series 9, Ultra 2 and SE (2022).
In this article, we’ll be focusing on the next generation of Apple’s regular smartwatch, which is rumoured to be known as the Apple Watch X. So, when will you be able to get one on your wrist and what new features will make it a worthy upgrade? Here’s all we know so far.
When will the Apple Watch X be released?
Apple has been quite consistent with the release schedules for its previous Watch generations. They usually arrive in September alongside the latest iPhones. Here’s a breakdown of when the recent versions made their debuts:
- Apple Watch Series 9 – September 2023
- Apple Watch Series 8 – September 2022
- Apple Watch Series 7 – October 2021
- Apple Watch Series 6 – September 2020
We can’t see any reason why Apple will change this pattern, so we’d expect to see the Apple Watch X arrive in September 2024, along with the iPhone 16. However, there’s no confirmation (official or otherwise) for this date so far.
There’s a small chance that Apple delays its release until the 10-year anniversary of the Watch in 2025, but it seems very unlikely.
How much will the Apple Watch X cost?
Apple Watch pricing has remained relatively consistent in recent years, despite high inflation and economic uncertainty in many countries around the world.
Here are the starting prices of all sizes of the recent generations:
- Apple Watch Series 9 (41mm) – £399/$399
- Apple Watch Series 9 (45mm) – £429/$429
- Apple Watch Series 8 (41mm) – £419/$399
- Apple Watch Series 8 (45mm) – £449/$429
- Apple Watch Series 7 (41mm) – £369/$399
- Apple Watch Series 7 (45mm) – £399/$429
- Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm) – £379/$399
- Apple Watch Series 6 (44mm) – £409/$429
As you can see, there’s been a rock solid set of prices for US customers, while UK buyers have experienced a bit more variation. The return to parity with the Apple Watch Series 9 is encouraging, so we’d hope that those prices remain intact when the 10th-gen model appears this year.
What specs and features will the Apple Watch X have?
Apple hasn’t made any official announcements regarding the X yet, but stopped plenty of rumours from appearing online. Here are the ones you should pay attention to:
New design
As this is the 10th generation Watch, there are rumours of an overhauled design for the Apple Watch X.
In August 2023, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple’s 2023 smartwatches would be minor updates, before more significant changes are introduced this year. The first part of that proved to be true, with the Series 9 and Ultra 2 both very similar to their predecessors.
Jim Martin / Foundry
Gurman went on to say that the device would be known as the ‘Watch X’, mirroring what Apple did with the iPhone X back in 2017. He also predicts it will have a slimmer casing and a potential new approach to bands.
Currently, the latter have been attached through grooves in the casing, which take up a bit of room, but the new ones could be magnetic, freeing up the internal space for more tech.
Blood pressure monitoring
Health and fitness has always been an important factor in the Apple Watch’s success, with Apple marketing it very much as a wellness device.
The feature set in this area looks to be getting a boost on the X with a reported ability to track the wearer’s blood pressure and warn of hypertension. That’s according to Mark Gurman at Bloomberg once again, who says it will “alert users” if they have high blood pressure and “suggest follow-up testing”.
While this will be a very valuable ability for many people, the actual technology and how it’s achieved hasn’t yet been explained. We’ve seen watches in the past that have constricting bands to measure pressure, but can’t see Apple going down that route, especially if the new bands are attached magnetically.
Sleep Apnea tracking
Another health feature that’s been rumoured to be coming in the Apple Watch Series 10 is that of tracking sleep apnea.
This is a common condition where someone can momentarily stop breathing while sleeping. It’s potentially dangerous, so having a Watch that can detect the issue and give wearers data that can be brought to their doctor would be a valuable addition to the new model.
The same Bloomberg article as above suggests it’ll work in a similar way to blood pressure, alerting you if any issues with your nighttime breathing have been detected and suggesting next steps.
No Micro-LED display
One rumour that was doing the rounds for a while but seems to have been quashed now is that of the Series 10 featuring a new Micro-LED display.
Popular Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently posted on his Medium page that the advanced display technology, which could offer improved battery life through its energy efficiency, wouldn’t be ready for the 2024 release and may not even make its debut until the 2026 lineup arrives.
That’s all we’ve seen so far, but of course we’ll update this article as more information becomes available. In the meantime, be sure to check out our best Apple Watch guide to see whether you want to buy one now or wait until the Apple Watch X arrives later in the year.
That’s all we’ve found so far, but we’ll keep updating this article as more details come to light. In the meantime, you may be interested in similar articles for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and Google Pixel Watch 3.