Apple Watch With Flat Edges Might Still Happen Next Year

No matter how trustworthy or numerous the sources, leaks are still unofficial information that can't be confirmed until a product's official announcement. That couldn't have been clearer than with the Apple Watch Series 7 that turned out not to be like what almost all the rumors and leaks suggested it would be. Aside from the larger screen, it looked just like any other Apple Watch in the past. That redesign, however, might still happen in the near future, possibly even next year.

Starting months prior to its somewhat disappointing debut, the rumors about the Apple Watch Series 7 pointed to a significant design change that the smartwatch hasn't seen in years. Almost everyone from Ming-chi Kuo to Mark Gurman to Jon Prosser believed that design to adopt the flat edges of current iPhones and iPads. It would have been a refreshing change, even if it won't have any impact on the wearable's functionality.

Of course, that didn't come to pass, which actually set off a few musings on what went wrong. Some even speculated that Apple was behind it all, delivering the ultimate payback to leaks and tipsters. Of course, that sounds almost too devious and more likely due to Apple playing with different designs before settling on a final decision.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman is seemingly rekindling hopes that this Apple Watch redesign is still on the table. That might happen in 2022 when Apple is expected to launch not one, not even two, but three Apple Watches. In addition to the flat edges, next year's Apple Watches is expected to include a rugged model, though it's unclear what that would look like or have over the "normal" variants.

Next year will also have something for those who were disappointed by the absence of new AirPods in last week's event. Those, however, might be overshadowed by the debut of Apple's mixed reality headset, or at least its developer version.\