That’s when the countdown begins Apple, Inc AAPL Far Out hardware launch event on Wednesday, Bloomberg columnist Markus Gurman his take on what he said is the most important new product launch expected at the event.
Apple is playing catch up to Garmin: The Apple Watch Pro would be the most significant new product and would be fought Garmin Ltd GRMN robust high-end watches, said Gurman.
Garmin’s watches are aimed at high-performance athletes like mountain bikers, hikers and marathon runners, he said.
Apple may be known for its premium products, but Garmin is the market leader for smartwatches priced over $500, the columnist said.
“The Apple Watch Pro could change that,” he said.
What to expect from the Apple Watch Pro: The new high-end Apple Watch will have a significantly larger display so users can simultaneously view redesigned watch faces and more fitness and health stats, Gurman said.
The Apple specialist also expects a larger battery, an energy-saving mode and a robust titanium case. He expects an all-new design that revamps a form factor first introduced with the Series 4 in 2018.
He expects the Watch Pro to cost $900 to $1,000 versus $1,000 to $1,500 for Garmin’s higher-end watches.
The other two Apple Watches, which are expected to launch Wednesday, won’t get any major facelifts, Gurman said. The new Apple Watch SE will look like a similar model from 2020, with its chip upgraded from the S5 to the S8, he said.
The same processor will likely power the Standard and Pro Series 8 models.
Gurman sees a new body temperature sensor and women’s health features related to fertility as the key updates appearing in the flagship Series 8 watch.
Photo courtesy of Apple.
