We’ve been talking a lot about the iPhone 17 leading up to its launch next month, but Apple has also been preparing other new products for this fall. More specifically, new Apple Watches. According to rumors, this year’s models will not feature major upgrades, at least when it comes to design. But Apple may have a card up its sleeve.
Internal code published by Apple and seen by Macworld confirms that Apple plans to launch five new Apple Watch models next month, and they may come with a neat surprise: a new wireless chip built by Apple. First, here are all the new Apple Watch models you can expect this fall, based on information discovered in the code:
- Apple Watch Series 11 (Wi-Fi and Cellular versions)
- Apple Watch Ultra 3 (Wi-Fi + Cellular)
- Apple Watch SE 3 (Wi-Fi and Cellular versions)
From what we know, all new Apple Watch models will look a lot like the current models. Inside, they won’t be much different either, as Apple will use a chip based on the same CPU as the Apple Watch Series 9 and Series 10, so there aren’t likely to be any performance gains this year. Apple often goes several generations without a chip redesign, as the current chip is already powerful enough for a smartwatch.
But despite having the same CPU, Apple has been working on improving other internal parts of its new Apple Watch. More specifically, Macworld saw evidence suggesting that this year’s Apple Watch models feature a new “Proxima” module, which matches the name of Apple’s new wireless chip reported by Bloomberg late last year.
That means the Apple Watch could be the first product to feature Apple’s custom wireless chip. With this chip, Apple can better optimize how its devices handle wireless connections, potentially reducing energy consumption.
But there’s more: based on the leaked code, at least one new Apple Watch model will feature a 5G modem, potentially the Apple Watch Ultra 3, as previously rumored by Bloomberg. Current Apple Watches with cellular are limited to LTE.
The same code revealed the existence of a Mac Pro with the M4 Ultra chip and a new MacBook Pro with cellular 5G connectivity.
Of course, keep in mind that Apple’s plans can change at any time. After all, the products reported here have been found in internal code, so the company could have scrapped some of the features before the official launch.