The Apple Watch Series 10, set to mark the 10th anniversary of the device, is generating buzz with rumors of significant upgrades, including a larger display and a new chip. There are also whispers of a special anniversary edition, possibly dubbed the Apple Watch X. However, the latest news may dampen the excitement for some.
Mark Gurman, a reliable source for Apple news, reports that despite the internal improvements, the Apple Watch Series 10 will retain the same design as the Series 9, meaning no aesthetic changes for another year. Adding to the disappointment, the highly anticipated new health features, such as sleep apnea and hypertension detection, are facing setbacks.
Apple’s efforts to develop these features have encountered challenges. The hypertension detection feature, after testing, did not meet reliability standards and has been pushed to next year. Sleep apnea detection faces a different obstacle. While the feature itself appears viable, it relies on blood oxygen saturation, a measurement prohibited for Apple Watches in the U.S. due to a legal battle with Masimo. The sleep apnea feature could still arrive on the Series 10 if the lawsuit is resolved by September. Otherwise, Apple would need to find a way to legally justify using the blood oxygen sensor for purposes beyond blood oxygen saturation detection. Given these factors, this feature is also likely to be delayed until 2025.
The Series 10 is expected to be thinner and will come in two casing sizes, code-named “N217” and “N218,” both boasting larger displays. One of these models is anticipated to have a screen comparable in size to the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Both models will feature a new processor, an upgrade from the S9 chip, potentially incorporating AI enhancements. However, a complete Apple Intelligence integration seems to be off the table for now.
