Apple Watch collection. Seoul Economic Daily DB
iPads and MacBooks are displayed at A-Store, an Apple products retailer inside a large discount store in Seoul, on the 26th of last month, when Apple raised prices on products such as MacBooks and iPads due to surging memory and storage costs driven by the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. News1
Apple is considering a full overhaul of the Apple Watch for the first time in about a decade, weighing whether to build screenless devices and displays in various shapes and sizes. It would mark a sweeping change for a company that has so far focused only on refining the product’s shortcomings.
Apple’s industrial design team has spent the past year or so broadly reviewing its smartwatch lineup and weighing several directions, Bloomberg reported on the 9th. Apple is looking at both screenless devices and displays of various shapes and sizes, and even round screens are under consideration, Bloomberg said. The company is also considering adding a premium model to sit above the Ultra and Hermès versions, as well as a lower-priced entry-level option cheaper than its current products.
Apple has not settled on a direction, but is said to be strongly committed to reshaping the lineup. The push is driven in part by the growth of screenless fitness bands and smart rings, which are cheaper, lighter and, for many users, more fun and convenient.
Since its launch about a decade ago, the Apple Watch has focused on incremental evolution rather than sweeping redesigns, with the company rolling out thinner models and the Ultra. The Ultra has kept the same exterior since 2022. Competition has since expanded to include Oura Health, Whoop and Alphabet’s Google, but Apple has held firm. According to Counterpoint Research, Apple Watch sales rose 21% in the first quarter, even as rivals such as Samsung Electronics saw declines.
MacBook Air Shortage: Apple Develops M6 MacBook Pro and New iMac
Apple is also seeking to reinvigorate its wearables, home and accessories segment, Bloomberg reported. Revenue from the segment rose about 7% last quarter, far short of the 18% growth in overall product revenue.
Some observers say Apple sees an opportunity to make the wrist device AI-centric, rolling out a new Siri powered by artificial intelligence and more sophisticated health-tracking features. The revamp of the health app is led by Eddy Cue, who took charge of the effort last year.
For now, only modest improvements are coming. The upcoming Series 12 and Ultra 4 will feature internal upgrades, including their first performance gains in years, while a ceramic case is being weighed for a revival this year or next. Bloomberg said a Watch overhaul could be as big a change as the iPhone’s shift from a single-piece design to a foldable, but that it would take time.
“Eddy Cue, known as an ardent fan of Whoop and the Oura Ring, will respond more effectively to changing consumer tastes and the growth of AI-based health and wellness,” Bloomberg said, adding that “a revamp of the Apple Watch would carry as much significance as the iPhone’s transformation from a flat design to a folding device.”
Apple is also preparing a revamp of its Mac lineup, as the MacBook Air — its best-selling laptop — faces a supply shortage caused by a crunch in memory chips. The MacBook Air is hard to find in stock at Apple’s retail stores, its official website and outside distributors alike. The problem earlier affected sellouts of the Mac Studio and Mac mini, and has now spread to Apple’s most popular device. In response, Apple is developing an M6 MacBook Pro, a new iMac and a redesigned iPad mini. Among these, the Mac products are likely to be unveiled in October, in line with the usual release schedule.
Bloomberg forecast that the supply crunch for Apple products caused by the memory shortage will continue for some time. Delivery estimates on orders are not being scheduled before early September. Bloomberg made clear, however, that the sellouts are not a clearing of inventory ahead of new model launches. Apple has no plans to release a new MacBook Air before the first quarter of 2027, and a new M6 version of the M5 MacBook Pro will launch this fall.