The Apple Watch Ultra may be set for a big upgrade in 2025, according to supply chain analyst Ross Young.
Young took to Twitter to argue that, while some rumors have indicated we could get a new Apple Watch Ultra as soon as 2024, that one supplier’s roadmap all-but confirms that the second-generation will actually launch in 2025.
Specifically, Young said that, “while everyone else reported that the MicroLED Apple Watch would launch in 2024, we remained steadfast that it would be 2025, now essentially confirmed by its MicroLED supplier Osram.”
For those who were hoping that microLED might come to the entire Apple Watch lineup that year, Young says that, due to the current higher cost of the technology, it will be exclusive to the Apple Watch Ultra when it originally shows up.
The Apple Watch Ultra is already great
While it’s cool to see Apple looking to further microLED technology with the Apple Watch, it’s unclear exactly what benefits users will receive from a brighter display with choosing it over OLED.
There’s also not much else in the rumor mill when it comes to the second generation of Apple Watch. However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t anything. One rumor is that Apple, in addition to switching out the display for microLED, may increase the size of that display from the current 1.93 inches to a 2.1-inch display. That report from Digitimes lines up with an earlier report that said the next generation of the Apple Watch Ultra will be both brighter and larger.
Outside of a larger and brighter display enabled by microLED, one feature I would love to see come to the Apple Watch Ultra is Emergency SOS via satellite, Apple’s new safety feature for the iPhone 14 lineup. It would be a feat of engineering to get that technology into a watch, however, so I think we’ll have to wait until Apple Watch Ultra 10 or something.