Images of purported third-party accessories for the rumored Apple Watch Pro are making the rounds this morning, and boy do I hope they’re legit. Those cutouts mean one or two more physical buttons are being added to the left of the display, while keeping space for the existing digital crown and side button to the right. If true, it means that Apple really understands the multisport athletes this watch is supposedly targeting. Adventure junkies like touchscreens for some things, but need to have big grabby buttons when in the surf, under water, on the slopes, and bombing down trails.
A variety of images were posted to twitter via reputable leakers Sonny Dickson and DuanRui (via Weibo). They appear to show decorative case accessories for the Apple Watch Pro which Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says will have a larger display with a low-power mode, larger battery, and a “rugged titanium casing.”
I hope it’s more waterproof too, as the current Apple Watch’s WR50 rating is only suitable for swimming in shallow water, not for activities like kitesurfing, water skiing, or scuba diving. Hell, let’s add data and emergency satellite connectivity to the wishlist as well.
We’ll be able finally separate fact from fiction on Wednesday when Apple is set to announce the Apple Watch Pro alongside the iPhone 14 series.
=============