Apple’s second rugged smartwatch, Apple Watch Ultra 2, to launch later this year: Report

This new report comes from Gurman via Bloomberg, who is known to share accurate Apple product information ahead of public release.

New Apple S9 Chipset 

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra (2nd Generation) models are expected to use a "brand new" smartwatch processor from the brand, Gurman shared on his Discord channel. Apple's S8 SiP currently present in Series 8 models is largely similar to the S6 chipset it introduced with the Apple Watch Series 6 in 2020. The new S9 chipset is expected be built on a more efficient 4 or 5 nanometer process as compared to the older 7 nanometer process which should result in battery and performance improvements.

MicroLED Model in 2025

While the next generation smartwatch is not expected to feature other major hardware upgrades, a future Apple Watch Ultra model coming out in 2025 will have a MicroLED display, being developed in-house according to a previous report. The brand is also expected to unveil new Vision series mixed-reality headsets in the same year with new features such as Fitness+ integration and a more affordable model.

Upcoming Apple products

Gurman also shared internal codenames for Apple devices slated for launch by first half of 2024:

• Apple Watch Ultra (2nd Generation): N210
• Apple Watch Series 9: N207, N208
• iMac 24" with M3 Chipset: J433, J434
• MacBook Pro 14" and 16" with M3 Pro and M3 Max: J514, J516
• MacBook Pro 13" with M3: J504
• Next generation iPad Pro with OLED Display: J717, J720
• Upcoming iPad Air: J507

Gurman also stated that the new Mac models with M3 Chipset are expected to arrive in the first half of 2024. The new iPad Pro and Air model may feature the same upgraded processor. Other products such as third generation AirPods Pro and smart home equipment (including a new smart display) are in early development stages. He'd earlier spoken about a cheaper version of Apple Vision Pro AR headset, which is apparently in development.