Images of purported third-party accessories for the rumored Apple Watch Pro are making the rounds this morning, and boy, do we hope they’re legit.
Those cutouts mean one or two more physical buttons are added to the display’s left. CAD drawings later released show a flat display and a single new switch on the left side below a redesigned speaker vent, with a new protrusion on the right that houses the mic, button, and Digital Crown, which looks better protected from accidental presses.
If true, it means that Apple understands the multisport athletes this Watch is supposedly targeting. Adventure junkies like touchscreens for some things but need to have big grabby buttons when in the surf, underwater, on the slopes, and bombing down trails.
Touchscreens are friendly, but athletes need buttons. A new protrusion on the right holds the Digital Crown, mic, & multitasking button. A flat display, a new switch, and a speaker grill along the left side.
Various images were posted to Twitter via reputable leakers Sonny Dickson and DuanRui. They appear to show decorative case accessories for the Apple Watch Pro. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says it will have a larger display with a low-power mode, a larger battery, and a “rugged titanium casing.” The Apple Watch Pro case measures 49mm, which isn’t the most oversized multisport Watch, but it’s close.
Hoping it’s more waterproof, too, as the current Apple Watch’s WR50 rating is only suitable for swimming in shallow water, not for kitesurfing, water skiing, or scuba diving. Let’s add data and emergency satellite connectivity to the wishlist as well.
We all be able finally separate fact from fiction on Wednesday when Apple is set to announce the Apple Watch Pro alongside the iPhone 14 series.
What will the latest Apple Watch Pro be assembled from?
If the new Watch is conceived for extreme sports enthusiasts, it will likely be constructed from rugged material. It will offer higher water resistance and other features that better suit extreme sports, such as better durability and a shatter-resistant screen. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has revealed that it will have a “rugged metal casing” amid suggestions that it will be built from metal more sturdy than aluminum.
However, in March 2021, Gurman suggested it might be covered with a rubber-like material, similar to Casio’s G-Shock watches. In his 10 July newsletter, Gurman indicated that it will be made from a non-aluminum metal material, “probably titanium given it’s much more long-lasting than steel.”
Things to Understand
- Apple Watch Pro – Pro is a label that Apple uses to emphasize the pro features of its Macs, iPhones, and iPads, so it would make sense to come to the Watch. Apple did believe the Apple Watch Pro title in the past.
- Apple Watch Max – Max is another trademark that Apple uses to emphasize pro features, and Max does have pleasant connotations for sports.
- Apple Watch Sports – Apple conceived of this Watch for sports fanatics, but there is already an Apple Watch Sports Loop and Sports Band and the sports-focused Apple Watch Nike editions, which manage to be lower-priced options. So we aren’t confident it will utilize the name again.
- Apple Watch Extreme – Extreme would be suitable as it reflects intense sports and the idea of extra power well.
- Apple Watch Explorer Edition – Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman advised that this Watch had been nicknamed this during early development.
- Apple Watch Edition – This is unlikely: it’s been reported that Apple will be retiring the Edition name, and we don’t think that works for the type of Watch that is rumored.