Multiple credible reports have predicted that this year’s Apple Watch launch, the Series 7, will see the device get its first major redesign since the original launched in 2014. But the latest information suggests that even on the inside, the new Apple Watch will look different from its predecessors.
According to a new (Chinese-language) report from the Economic Daily News, the new S7 processor chip will take up significantly less space inside the Apple Watch Series 7 than the S6 did in the Series 6. This in turn will free up more space for additional components, or for existing components to be larger.
In the absence of new health-related sensors, which had previously been expected to appear this year, MacRumors speculates that this bonus space may be used to accommodate a larger battery unit. The site observes that battery performance has remained steady across the past several generations of Apple Watch, even as Apple has incorporated steadily larger battery units (our own experience, in fact, is that it has gently trended downwards since the Series 2); this is a reflection of the increasing demands of features and sensors that have also been added.
By stepping up the battery size more drastically, and/or declining to increase the demands on the device with new functions, Apple could see a major improvement in a key aspect of performance. One that could prove useful, MacRumors points out, in persuading owners of older (and potentially deteriorated) Apple Watches to upgrade.
New sensors for health information such as blood glucose levels and body temperature are expected to be delayed until 2022, when the Series 8 makes its appearance. Otherwise, the new Apple Watch is expected to gain an improved U1 chip, thinner edges and a screen that’s laminated closer to the glass.
Catch up with all the latest leaks, rumours and speculation with our regularly updated guide to the Apple Watch Series 7, which is expected to launch in the autumn of 2021.
If you can’t wait that long, pick up a bargain on one of the current models by checking our roundup of the best Apple Watch deals. The latest prices for the Series 6, are embedded in the automated table below.
This article originally appeared on Macworld Sweden. Translation and additional reporting by David Price.