Apple Watch is about to have a major upgrade

The half-bitten apple brand is looking to refresh its Apple Watch lineup this year. This will probably be the Apple Watch Series 7 model, with a faster processor, improved wireless connectivity, and an upgraded display.

Next year, in addition to the Apple Watch Series 7, the company will also update a successor to the lower-end Apple Watch SE. At the same time, a new product line for extreme sports athletes is being developed.

Apple has aimed to include a temperature sensor in this year's version of the Apple Watch, but that device will most likely appear in the 2022 version.

The new sensor, which helps diabetics monitor their blood glucose levels, is not yet ready for commercialization in the next few years.

For this year's version of Apple Watch, the company is testing a screen with thinner bezels thanks to a new lamination technique, which helps bring the display layer closer to the front. Product thickness may increase slightly, but not significantly.

This new Apple Watch will also be equipped with Ultra Wide Band connectivity, the technology that helps AirTag find lost items.

At WWDC, Apple showed off a preview of WatchOS 8. This operating system allows the Apple Watch to unlock hotel rooms.

The Apple Watch for extreme sports players has been described by Apple employees as an 'explorer' or 'adventure' version. The model was once developed to launch earlier this year but it is likely to appear in 2022.

The new version of Apple Watch will help this product line compete with smartwatches from Garmin or Casio.

Temperature measurement has become an essential part of Covid-19 symptom detection, causing demand for devices like the Withings Thermo to skyrocket. This is an accessory to quickly measure body temperature, connected to a smartphone to synchronize data.

Some companies launch small digital thermometer models that plug directly into smartphones to support temperature measurement. The addition of Apple's temperature measurement feature to the Apple Watch helps this model soon catch up with other smartwatches and smart bracelets.

Blood sugar monitoring is a feature that has been in development for a long time by Apple and will help it beat many competitors. Apple and many others are relying on apps for users to manually enter blood glucose readings, while medical device companies like Dexcom offer blood glucose monitors and share data with the Apple Watch .

Currently, users have to prick their finger to draw blood to check the exact amount of sugar. But Apple is aiming for a non-invasive solution that can analyze blood through the skin.

Since being launched in 2015, Apple Watch has become one of Apple's strategic products. Along with the iPhone and iPad, this product completes the company's hardware ecosystem and helped the wearables, smart home, and accessories portfolio generate more than $30 billion in the last financial year.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 15 June 2021