We are still a few months from Apple’s latest iteration of the Apple Watch, the upcoming Series 8. Here’s what we do know, or at least what we know for now. As we all know Apple and other tech companies often announce last-minute changes to the specification of their upcoming product line latest release. Apple fans will surely be excited about the upcoming Apple Watch, and everyone is hoping for a list of new and exciting features that will get the heart racing similar to when they are using an instant withdrawal casino.
Design Cues And Lineage
Before the release of the 7th generation Apple Watch, it was anticipated that Apple would follow the design of its latest phone, the iPhone 13 and its iPad Pro tablet, one with flat sides, on release as we all know, that was not how the new watch was presented. There have been leaks that Apple is working on a “flat front glass display” by ShrimpApplePro, but no confirmation that this is for the Apple Watch 8. At this stage, only Apple themselves know if the new watch will take on the look of Apple’s flat-sided product range.
Expanding Appeal
Apple Watch Series 8 is rumoured to be likely to come with 41 and 45-mm size options, but possibly a larger size option is on the horizon for the watch. Bloomberg recently published information that Apple is working on a version of the watch with a rugged casing with this version aimed towards those wishing to extend the wearability of the device into sports and pursuits likely to damage a standard product. It is believed all the functionality of the Apple Watch will still feature in this rugged version that is due for release before the end of 2022.
Health And Wellness
Apple is developing various new health and wellness features for the upcoming Apple Watch models, but no confirmation on what features will be released with the Apple Watch 8.
Blood Glucose Monitoring
Apple biomedical engineers are rumoured to be working on a technology for non-invasive blood glucose level detection using optical sensors. Though the technology is under development, it is unlikely it will debut in the Apple Watch 8. It is a hotly anticipated feature for diabetics it would open the doors to measurements that did not require any skin to be punctured during the process. These rumours are not new and it is a difficult feature to develop that involves regulation and legal implications as well as high technology thought to involve the use of short wave infrared sensing. It is likely that this technology is several years away, though that does not mean there won’t be improvements to the support offered by the watch for 3rd party blood glucose monitors.
Blood Pressure Monitoring
Again blood pressure measurement technology isn’t anticipated to surface until at least 2024 or further into 2025. Apple is developing an improved sensor and the software needed to provide accurate blood pressure monitoring, but this has so far proved elusive for the tech giant. Although we do know the tech won’t give specific systolic and diastolic results, only an alert if hypertension is detected.
Body Temperature Monitoring
Body temperature monitoring has proved hard to develop with Skin temperature varying so much with the temperatures of the surroundings.
Sleep Apnoea
Sleep Apnoea Detection is possible using Apple’s blood oxygen sensor, but again there are issues to overcome and it is not clear if the timescale will coincide with the release of the new watch. It is possible that the new watch will benefit from the car crash detecting feature which uses sensors to measure deceleration forces on our bodies to look for the reading that would indicate a car crash and call the emergency services for help.
Car Crash Detection
When a car crash is detected, the iPhone or the Apple Watch would automatically dial emergency services to get help. It is likely this feature will be adopted across the company’s range of watches and phones in the future.
Atrial Fibrillation Detection
WatchOS 9 due for release in September 2022 is expected to have improvements to Apple’s atrial fibrillation detection to incorporate “burden,” or how often a person experiences atrial fibrillation over time.
Processing Speed
The Apple Watch Series 8 is likely to feature the new S8 system-on-a-chip with better performance and speed.
Satellite Connectivity
Apple intends to enable its watch to connect via satellite to enable features emergency texting and SOS alerting. Satellite connectivity is coming, but it won’t be until the release of the iPhone 14. Apple Watch will need to be patient for a while longer.
Apple Watch Patents and Developments
A good source of possible upcoming features and technology can be gained by looking at patents filed by Apple recently, though being a tech company goes hand in hand with developments, so of the many patents filed by the company, we feel the ones that may apply to the Apple Watch 8 are;
Apple watches biometric sensor technology – Centering on a self-adjusting strap to give improved heart rate monitoring
Apple Watch Band LED’s
The Apple Watch band has been subject to a patent describing an LED indicator that could be used to visualise how far the wearer has progressed in a workout routine. We feel this is a feature that might be included in the new watch as it seems to have been fully developed.
Two 2020 patents suggest Apple is researching Touch ID and an under-display camera for the Apple Watch. Apple describes a side button with an integrated Touch ID fingerprint sensor that could be used for user identification and device unlocking. Currently, the Apple Watch unlocks with a passcode and also when the paired iPhone is unlocked
Apple Watch SE
The lower-cost Apple Watch SE is likely to get a speed boost in the way of a faster processor.
Apple has many features and technologies under development, though not all of these technologies are destined for the company’s worn products, time will tell which features mature in time for the release of Apple Watch 8.
