Apple May Be Launching A Rugged New Apple Watch

An Apple Watch for Extreme Sports

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who has the best track record in terms of Apple leaks, has learned that the company would target an Apple Watch featuring a rugged casing at athletes, hikers, and folks who use its wearable device in more extreme environments.

The product would sport the same functionality as a standard Apple Watch but with “extra impact-resistance and protection in the vein of Casio’s G-Shock watches,” adds the report.

It would include perks like corner protection and better impact resistance than the existing models. Today’s models use aluminum, steel, and titanium exteriors.

A rubberized casing along with stronger shock resistance and tougher cover glass protection would make such a device far less prone to damage when used in extreme environments than the current models.

The report adds that this device is referred to internally as Apple Watch Explorer Edition.

When Can We Expect the New Apple Watch?

The report claims Apple is “considering” launching a rugged new Apple Watch model later this year or in 2022 “at the earliest”, indicating the device is almost finalized.

Should Apple choose to proceed with the launch, the company could release a rugged Apple Watch in the fall alongside the upcoming Apple Watch Series 7, new iPhones, and other products. Gurman cautions, however, that nothing is certain as of yet because Apple could easily decide to cancel the project altogether.

The write-up doesn’t mention anything in terms of possible pricing.

At any rate, adding a rugged Apple Watch to the mix sounds like the next logical step given the strong health and fitness focus of the current models. Also, a rugged Apple Watch could help the company widen the addressable market.

Aside from the latest Apple Watch Series 6 models, which start at $399, Apple also offers the more affordable $279 Apple Watch SE alongside the older Apple Watch Series 3, priced at $199. The Bloomberg story mentions in passing that Apple is also working on new swim-tracking features for the wearable device.