2022 will be an important year for the Apple Watch, according to the rumor circuit. Apple would like to release no fewer than three new Apple Watch models. In addition to the Apple Watch Series 8, this also concerns the Apple Watch SE 2022 and a so-called rugged version of the Apple Watch, intended for highly active athletes. We have some new information about the first two, coming from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his newsletter he says that the Apple Watch will get a new chip this year, but you should not expect improvements in speed. The S8 chip would not get new specifications.
‘S8 chip in Apple Watch Series 8 just as fast as S6’
Apple seems to have gotten a bit stuck in the development of the Apple Watch in recent years, at least as far as the chip is concerned. Where normally an improved and faster chip in an Apple product is one of the most important improvements, we see that a lot less with the Apple Watch. In fact, the S7 chip in the new Apple Watch Series 7 is almost identical to the S6 chip. Mark Gurman adds that the upcoming S8 chip will also get the same specs as the S7. That means that the S8 will be almost the same as the S6 from 2020. What does that mean in practice? That the Apple Watch Series 8 will probably be as fast as the Apple Watch Series 6. Apple can still use some other components or add something to the chip that warrants a new name, but the performance will probably remain the same.
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Admittedly: the improvements in the Apple Watch are not really in the chip either. The Apple Watch is, for what you can do with it, very fast. The chip may be more energy efficient. Gurman still expects a new power-saving mode, which may only be suitable for the new Apple Watch Series 8. So this new feature could be related to the S8 chip. If you really prefer a faster chip, you will have to wait until next year. Gurman says the Apple Watch Series 9, the 2023 model, will get a completely new processor.
‘Apple Watch SE 2022 will be the same size as the current version’
The Apple Watch SE 2022 will have the same size as the current Apple Watch SE, according to the same source. It is currently available in 40mm and 44mm versions. So that would mean the Apple Watch SE won't make the same jump in screen size as last year's Apple Watch Series 7, which is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes. It is not clear what is new about this model. For example, Apple could add always-on to the screen, as well as other functions such as EKG and oximeter. According to Gurman, this model will receive the same S8 chip. The current Apple Watch SE still contains an S5 chip, almost the same as in the Apple Watch Series 5.
Finally, the source thinks that the Apple Watch Series 3 will be ready by the end of this year. That is not surprising, because watchOS 9 will not be released for this model. Apple is probably just running out of stock right now and then this model will be taken off the shelves. The current Apple Watch SE can then take over that place in the line-up, while the new Apple Watch SE becomes the new mid-range.
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