Apple is considering a dramatic overhaul of its Watch line-up – including the possibility of products without screens.
The iPhone maker is planning to revamp the whole Apple Watch range with a whole set of new designs, according to a new report from Bloomberg. How and whether it will actually bring the changes is yet to be confirmed, the report suggested, but it could include entirely new looks for Apple’s fitness tracker.
In recent years, much of the fitness industry has moved to trackers that do not have screens – such as the Whoop, as well as more recent fitness bands from companies including Fitbit and Garmin – and are worn as a simple-looking bracelet that feeds data a paired phone. Other similar products such as Oura’s smart rings have also surged in popularity.
Apple’s senior vice president of services Eddy Cue, who recently took over its work on health features, is known to be a fan of such devices, the report said. But Apple is yet to release any kind of fitness tracker of its own beyond the Watch.
That Watch itself could get its own re-think, the report said. Apple has considered different types and sizes of screens including round displays, for instance, though the report noted that such a device was unlikely to actually hit the market.
Less dramatic changes could include adding more premium models alongside its Apple Watch Ultra – focused on outdoor activities – and the expensive model it makes with fashion brand Hermès. Apple is also considering new, more affordable versions alongside the cheaper SE version of the Watch, Bloomberg reported.
It said that the company hasn’t settled on a new direction, but that it was keen to bring new life to the line-up that has stayed largely stagnant in recent years. It has lagged behind other products in terms of revenue – growing 7 per cent in the last quarter, against 18 per cent across the company.
The Apple Watch’s design has remained largely unchanged since it was first introduced in 2014. While it has gained a range of new features – including much bigger displays on the outside, as well as a variety of changes on the inside – the central design of a rounded square with a display has stayed largely identical.
Apple is also planning changes to the Health app that gathers data from the Watch, as well as its wellness offerings more generally. That might include giving it more AI-powered features, in keeping with a broad move across Apple’s products that will bring a new Siri with better artificial intelligence later this year.