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Extreme sports-focused Apple Watch Pro may get extreme price tag too

Prakhar Khanna
By

Apple may release three versions of the Apple Watch Series 8 alongside the iPhone 14 this year, and one may be a rugged, extreme sports-focused model. It’s not the first time a rugged Apple Watch has been rumored, but the latest report gives a hint about the possible name, and a potentially very high price.

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Andy Boxall/Digital Trends

Apple could use the “Apple Watch Pro” name and charge $1,000 for the new smartwatch according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a reliable source of Apple news. This renaming would bring it into line with Apple’s other product ranges, where the “Pro” model is widely recognized as being a step above the standard model. See the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, iPad and the iPad Pro, and the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro for evidence.

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What will make it Pro? Apparently, the Apple Watch Pro is said to offer a larger display that will be more shatter-resistant. It could get enhanced hiking and swim tracking alongside a rugged case, which could be made of titanium. To help attract people who may look at non-touchscreen sports smartwatches, where battery life is prioritized, Apple may engineer the Watch Pro to provide longer battery life. The battery in an Apple Watch lasts about a day and a half at the moment, and that’s without features like GPS active all the time.

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If the Watch Pro is to be taken seriously by outdoor sports enthusiasts, it needs to last longer. Whether Apple does this through a larger battery, or dedicated battery-saving modes, remains to be seen. Gurman also speculates it will have a cellular connection, which would affect battery life even further, despite also providing more versatility and safety features.

Apple may use the Watch Pro to replace its expensive, more luxury-focused Apple Watch Edition models. The current Apple Watch Series 7 with a titanium case (instead of aluminum or stainless steel) starts at $849, it comes with a sapphire crystal over the screen for further protection, and is only available with a cellular connection. If it does increase the price of the Apple Watch Pro to $1,000, Apple will really need to deliver on the additional features and toughness for it to tempt people away from Garmin, Polar, and other sports smartwatches that cost around $500 even for the top models.

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Prakhar Khanna
Prakhar Khanna
Mobile Writer
Prakhar writes news, reviews and features for Digital Trends. He is an independent tech journalist who has been a part of the…
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