A fan-made render depicting a redesigned Apple Watch(Image credit: PhoneArena)
With its design going largely unchanged since 2015, it seems fair to say that the Apple Watch is looking a little long in the tooth. Sure, last year's Apple Watch Ultra changed things up with a larger, titanium body, but the standard model still looks very familiar. So the fact that Apple is reportedly planning a major redesign next year might come as good news – but there's one detail I'm troubled by.
According to renowned Apple leaker Mark Gurman, Apple is planning to repeat what it did with the iPhone X in 2017 by releasing a significantly redesigned 'Apple Watch X' to mark the device's 10th edition next year. But apparently the new design will include a brand new way to attach straps – which could mean older bands are no longer compatible. (Don't fancy waiting to find out? Check out the best Apple Watch deals available now.)
Let's hope all those old bands don't become obsolete (Image credit: Apple)
According to Gurman, as spotted by MacRumors, the "complete revamp" could arrive either next year or in 2025. As well as a "thinner casing" for the Apple Watch with smaller bezels, the redesign is set to include a new mechanism for attaching straps, which could be entirely magnetic.
While anything that saves space to allow for either a thinner design or bigger bactory is a good thing, it's easy to see why this could be troubling news for early adopters of the Apple Watch – or even those who, like me, have only just jumped on board. If you own more than one Apple Watch strap then you're probably somewhat invested in the current ecosystem – and if those straps no longer fit, it'll be disappointing to end up with a bunch of useless straps. Let's spare a thought for the Reddit user below.
Of course, this is just speculation – Apple might not be planning to do away with the current design. Or indeed, perhaps it is planning to introduce an attachment that adapts old bands for the new magnetic system. But that could be pricey – and unsightly.
Time will tell what Apple has in store, but if persistent rumours are anything to go by, there isn't much to worry about in 2023, with the Apple Watch Series 9 said to look identical to the Series 8 before it. The iPhone 15, however, could be in for some slightly more exciting upgrades.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
