Apple Watch 2024: What’s coming to Apple Watch Series 10, SE, and Ultra 3

The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 may have only debuted in September 2023, but the clock is already ticking for the release of their successors. We gather up all the news and rumors that give us some clues about what we might find in the Apple Watch Series 10, Ultra 3 and whether there will be a new Apple Watch SE in 2024.

Update 7/9/24: Added rumors about the Apple Watch Series 10.

Apple Watch 2024: Release date

Apple updates at least one of the Apple Watch models every year, but this year all three models could get a refresh. We expect to see a new Apple Watch Series 10, Apple Watch Ultra 3, and a third-gen Apple Watch SE.

Apple has a pretty set release schedule when it comes to the Apple Watch range. Usually, the new devices are announced at the September events (alongside the new iPhones). The new Watch models then go on sale soon after. The only divergence from this pattern was in 2021 when the Apple Watch Series 7 didn’t arrive until October due to pandemic-related production delays. 

Here’s when the past few generations of the Apple Watch were announced:

• Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2: September 12, 2023
• Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch SE (2nd gen): September 7, 2022
• Apple Watch Series 7: October 18, 2021
• Apple Watch Series 6, Apple Watch SE (1st gen): September 15, 2020

Apple Watch Series 10: Release date

Going by the dates above, we’d say it’s very likely that the Apple Watch Series 10 will make its debut in early to mid-September 2024. 

Apple Watch Ultra 3: Release date

Apple is also likely to update the Apple Watch Ultra at the same time as the Series 10. Expect an update in September 2024. 

Apple Watch SE (3rd-gen): Release date

Apple doesn’t update the Apple Watch SE every year. That model was introduced in 2020 and updated in 2022. Based on a two-year update cycle, we think we will see a new Apple Watch SE in September 2024.

Again, we need to look at the past pattern of pricing. Apple offers its Watch models in a variety of configurations, but here’s how the baseline models lined up at launch:

As you can see, prices of all variants of the Apple Watch have held steady in the U.S., with some fluctuations in the U.K. prices. There’s a good chance that we will see similar pricing for the Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 3, with prices starting at $399/£399 for the Series 10, and $799/£799 for the Ultra 3. However, with a price cut from the 1st-gen to the 2nd-gen models, it’s possible that Apple cuts the price of the Apple Watch SE once again.

Apple Watch 2024: 10th anniversary

In an August 2023 Power On newsletter, Gurman wrote that Apple is planning a redesign to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Watch, with a new Watch X bringing a slimmer case and new magnetic attachments for straps. More recently we’ve heard rumors that Apple is planning a thinner Apple Watch this year.

However, while this will be a Series 10 watch, the Apple Watch actually launched in April 2025, making next year the 10th anniversary. We don’t expect that will matter much if Apple plans to elevate the 10-gen model as it did with macOS and the iPhone.

Apple Watch 2024: watchOS 11

Apple announced watchOS 11 at WWDC in June, and it includes several new features, including an update to the Photos watch face, new training modes, and a new Vitals app that measures health metrics. It will be released to the public in the fall and ship with the new watches.

Apple Watch 2024: New features

Apple

Apple

Apple

As we approach the launch of the Apple Watch, rumors are beginning to paint a picture of the new models, which could bring some significant changes.

Design

Several rumors claim that the Apple Series 10 refresh could be more significant. In June, Ming-Chi Kuo reported that the Apple Watch Series 10 would lose the smaller 41mm model and add a new Ultra-sized 49mm model along with the 45mm option. A report from Mark Gurman in July corroborated this rumor, writing that “both versions of the Series 10–codenamed N217 and N218–will get bigger screens.” He also notes that the design will be thinner, though “unlikely to look much different.”

Back in October, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo posted a list of expectations for the Apple Watch, including the prediction that: “The new Apple Watch will unlikely have significant innovative experiences.” In May, a report from MacRumors quotes analyst Ming-Chi Kuo in saying that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will have “almost no” hardware upgrades from Ultra 2.

As far as the Apple Watch SE, the only rumor reported is from Gurman, who says Apple is considering “swapping out the aluminum shell in favor of rigid plastic” to lower costs.

Display

Despite earlier reports, Kuo and others have indicated that the rumored Micro LED display tipped to arrive in the Apple Watch Ultra 3 might be canceled. Kuo claims that the reason for the shift is that “Apple thinks that Micro LED can’t add significant value to this product.”

In April 2024, The Elec reported that Apple could use a low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LTPO) OLED display. This could make the display more power-efficient, thus preserving battery life.

Processor

Apple always accompanies the new Apple Watch with a new S-series system in package (SiP), with last year’s S9 chip delivering a speed boost and the first Neural Engine on an Apple Watch. We don’t know what to expect from the S10 chip, but we expect modest performance improvements.

Apple Intelligence

At WWDC, Apple announced its upcoming Apple Intelligence AI features coming to iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS 15, but didn’t include the Apple Watch. It’s possible that the new Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 3 deliver support for some elements of Apple Intelligence, including Siri and charGPT, though it would likely require a significant upgrade to the processor.

Jim Martin / Foundry

Jim Martin / Foundry

Jim Martin / Foundry

Apple Watch 2024: Health features

Over the years Apple has introduced new health features with the Apple Watch, most recently bringing a temperature sensor to the Apple Watch Series 8. This year will continue those efforts, with Gurman reporting that Apple will add new health features to attract new customers and entice owners of older Watches to upgrade. Here’s what Apple has been rumored to be working on:

Blood glucose monitoring

Apple is known to have been long at work on blood glucose monitoring. However, it seems this feature still needs time to develop and may not be ready for a while, according to reports. However, it appears as though the feature won’t be ready for this year’s watch despite recently hitting “major milestones” in development, according to Gurman.

Blood pressure monitoring

Gurman reported that the next Apple Watch could gain the ability to see when the wearer’s blood pressure is elevated. While the watch won’t provide systolic and diastolic readings it will log details in a blood pressure journal and warn the user if they should consult their doctor. However, a recent report claims Apple has hit “some serious snags” with the development of the feature and it might not launch until 2025.

Sleep apnea monitoring

The 2024 Apple Watch could gain the ability to check for sleep apnea by monitoring the wearer’s breathing and sleep patterns, according to Gurman. However, like blood-pressure monitoring, a recent report claims the feature might not launch until next year.

Author: Martyn Casserly, Contributor