Apple Watch Series 6: Everything We Know So Far

The Apple Watch Series 5 is easily the best smartwatch on the planet. Many others are smaller or cheaper, but the combination of luscious build quality, advanced features and the typically Apple it-just-works interface make it a real standout.

Here’s everything we know so far, and if you can’t wait for the next Apple Watch, there’s a selection of deals for the current models below. I’ll be updating the rumors – and the deals – regularly, so please check back.

Expected release date and price

For all that Apple doesn’t like to be predictable, for the last few years it has revealed a new Apple Watch alongside a new iPhone or three in September. There had been rumors that there wouldn’t be an update last September, which seemed strange at a time when wearables were contributing so much to Apple’s bottom line.

Unless something changes drastically, I’d expect the next Apple Watch to be released in around the second week of September.

Pricing is likely to be about the same as the current Series 5, that is from $399 for the smaller size and from $429 for the larger.

Note, though, that Apple Watch Series 3 is currently available from a remarkably low price from $199 for the smaller case, from $229 for the larger. Apple could choose to keep it in the range, but what it can’t do is discount the next model, Series 4, because it has discontinued it. It’s anybody’s guess whether the Series 5 will hang around at a lower price after the next Watch is on sale.

What’s in a name?

Again, Apple’s desire to be unpredictable notwithstanding, I would strongly suspect the next Watch will follow the naming convention which arrived with the second Apple Watch, confusingly called Series 1. It’s a simple system which lets everyone know if you have the latest Watch or not.

So: Apple Watch Series 6 is the most likely name and is what we’ll call it for now.

Design

The now-discontinued Series 4 brought the first big design change since the first Apple Watch went on sale in Spring 2016. It saw the case size stay the same while the display grew hugely within it. It moved components like speakers and microphones around.

Because such a big change happened less than two years ago, it’s possible the Series 5 design will be exactly followed this time around, too. Although the display technology may change, as we’ll see below, which could make the next Apple Watch thinner. The Apple Watch now comes in four metal finishes: aluminum and stainless steel, plus two more metals in Apple Watch Edition: ceramic and titanium. It’s not clear whether titanium and ceramic will both be part of the 2020 range, but it’s a shoo-in that aluminum and stainless steel will.

There could be one other major change to how the Watch looks.

Apple Watch PRODUCT(RED)

It looks like there may be one more Series 5 Watch to come, a PRODUCT(RED) version which helps raise money to help people with HIV/AIDS. Apple has supported this very strongly. If the rumor proves to be true, it’s possible that a PRODUCT(RED) Apple Watch Series 6 could be available, too. After all, both the iPhone XR and iPhone 11 included PRODUCT(RED) models from day one.

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Apple Watch Deals

Apple Watch Series 5 with Sport Band from Apple and Amazon

Series 5, 40mm, GPS, aluminum – $399

Series 5, 44mm, GPS, aluminum –$429

Series 5, 40mm, GPS + cellular, aluminum –$499

Series 5, 44mm, GPS + cellular, aluminum –$529

Series 5, 40mm, GPS + cellular, stainless steel – $699

Series 5, 44mm, GPS + cellular, stainless steel –$749

Apple Watch Edition with Sport Loop from Apple

Series 5, 40mm, GPS + cellular, titanium – $799

Series 5, 44mm, GPS + cellular, titanium – $849

Series 5, 40mm, GPS + cellular, space black titanium – $799

Series 5, 44mm, GPS + cellular, space black titanium – $849

Series 5, 40mm, GPS + cellular, ceramic – $1,299

Series 5, 44mm, GPS + cellular, ceramic –$1,349

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Sleep tracking

This is something that has been much-anticipated and long-predicted, but it still hasn’t happened. Last September it looked pretty likely. A month later, a leak suggested a Sleep app really was a thing on the Apple Watch.

But it still hasn’t happened.

My guess is that it’s in the works and wasn’t introduced last time around on Apple Watch Series 5 because something else got in the way. Perhaps the focus on the always-on display and optimizing the battery to work with that was the issue.

Sleep tracking will be a boon, adding a big element to Apple’s already excellent health tracking. So, maybe 2020 is the year to introduce it. But it may need battery enhancements and that may require improved performance…

Oh, come on, I hear you say, that’s obvious. Sure, though the difference between the S5 chip in Series 5 and the S4 chip from the year before seems to be limited to the addition of a compass and driver for the display, so maybe it’s not always so obvious.

Well, anyway, it’s good to have it confirmed by an authority such as analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from TF International Securities. Kuo predicts that performance improvements may come from a change of material used in the circuit boards, as MacRumors reported.

The report also suggested there could be improved wireless transmission from this change, too, leading to improved wi-fi and cellular connectivity.

Water resistance

The same report also suggests that the improved circuit board could make the next Apple Watch a better diver. You can use the current model underwater to a depth of 5ATM, that’s 50 meters. That’s become an industry-standard level and is enough for most people. It’s possible that water-skiing or even scuba diving could be on the cards for Apple Watch Series 6.

MicroLED display

This has been on the cards for almost two years, and still no sign of microLED, though the new display technology on the Apple Watch Series 5, which has made always-on a reality only arrived a few months ago and I’d be surprised if Apple is ready to ditch it after such a short time.

I think MicroLED will come, and it will offer better battery life, too, so an always-on display will continue to work then, and perhaps make sleep tracking happen as well.

But I think we’ll be waiting for 2021 at least.

I’ll be updating this post as new rumors and reports emerge, so please bookmark the page or check back. I’ll adjust the headline to reflect new elements.

FORBES