At least that’s according to display analyst Ross Young (opens in new tab). He claims that the new Apple Watch, which is expected to make its debut in September alongside the iPhone 14, will have a larger size with a display set to measure 1.99 inches diagonally. That would be quite a significant upgrade, as none of the models on our best smartwatches list are larger than 46mm. The runner up to the Apple Watch 7, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, tops out at 46mm. What’s not clear is if this will be a new size to go alongside the 41mm and 45mm models that make up the current Apple Watch 7 range; the Apple Watch SE comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes. There’s scope this larger model to replace the 45mm one, or even stand alone as a high-end Apple Watch, but Young and other tech tipsters haven’t offered further detail yet. A larger Apple Watch 8 could be reserved for the rumored rugged Apple Watch 8 version of the smartwatch, as having more screen space while navigating difficult environments is likely to be very useful when parsing information like map directions. A larger Apple Watch display in general would be a boon for some, as while the Apple Watch has a lot of features and apps, more screen space to navigate them and absorb fitness information at a glance would be much appreciated. Speaking of the display, a flat edge screen has been hinted at by a few Apple Watch 8 renders, which would be a neat design update and arguably provide a little bit more usable screen space. Going by the rumors so far, the Apple Watch 8 could be a small upgrade over the Apple Watch 7, with the next-gen smartwatch tipped to use the same S6 chip. But the Apple Watch 8 has also been tipped to get a body temperature sensor, which could notably boost its health tracking capabilities, such as being able to detect a fever or help measure fertility. Another exclusive Apple Watch 8 upgrade could be a low-power mode facilitated by watchOS 9, which could see the smartwatch exceed the 18-hour battery life the current Series 7 model offers. Ideally, we’d like to see a two to three-day battery life, when nearly all the features are enabled. We hope to see the Apple Watch 8 this fall, alongside the new iPhones and hopefully the AirPods Pro 2. If you’re considering a smartwatch upgrade, check out our Apple Watch 8 vs Apple Watch 7 preview comparison.
