Apple Watch With Larger Display Landing This Year Tips Analyst

This week has been a big one for Apple, yesterday it launched the rumored budget iPad aimed specifically at schools with Apple Pencil support. While that event was underway, a new round of rumors started by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo focused on upcoming Apple Watch updates, which will land this fall.

According to the analyst, the new watch will sport a 15% larger screen. That doesn't necessarily mean that the updated watches will be larger than the 38mm or 42mm size they have always been. It could be that the new screens will simply be pushed more to the edges of the watch as Apple has been doing with screens on its smartphones and tablets. However, Kuo offered no insight into if the devices would grow or not.

One bit that suggests the devices might grow is that Kuo also predicts larger batteries for the devices. A larger battery could simply be from better packaging inside the currently sized cases. Another prediction is that the overall design of the Apple Watch would be changed. These devices have looked basically the same since they debuted.

Other tidbits expected according to Kuo are new sensors that will allow the watch to do things beyond monitoring your heart rate. Rumors have suggested in the past that Apple would be integrating the ability to monitor EKG into the next generation of Apple Watch. Kuo wrote in his note to investors that all those features could add up to record Apple Watch sales.

Apple is predicted to sell 22-24 million Apple Watch units in 2018, that would be growth of about 30% year-over-year. Launch for the refreshed Apple watch is tipped for later this year, likely with the refreshed iPhones in September. There is no indication as to whether the refreshed wearables might use the microLED displays that Apple has reportedly been working on.