The Apple Watch 10 might not be a major upgrade after all, apart from its screen

Apple Watch Series 9 with Snoopy
The Apple Watch Series 9 (Image credit: Future / Britta O'Boyle)

As we get closer to the expected September launch of the Apple Watch 10 we've learned some more details about what the wearable will bring with it – and it seems as though this upgrade might not be quite as substantial as previously rumored.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who's one of the more reliable Apple tipsters out there, both sizes of the Apple Watch 10 are getting bigger screens. As you'll see from our Apple Watch 9 review, those displays are currently set at 1.69 inches (41mm model) and 1.9 inches (45mm model).

"Series 10 shoppers will be able to pick a screen that's about as large as the one found on the Apple Watch Ultra," says Gurman – with said Apple Watch Ultra 2 display coming in at 1.92 inches. Whether than means the actual dimensions of the new watches will get bigger too, as has been rumored, isn't clear from this report.

Other than that, though, the design of the Apple Watch isn't going to change much, according to Gurman. He says Apple may mark the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch this year, or save the celebrations for a "splashier" release next year – the first Apple Watch was announced in 2014 but went on sale in 2015, so either would work.

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Samsung Galaxy Watch FE

The Galaxy Watch FE is one of three Samsung smartwatches expected this year (Image credit: Samsung)

The Apple Watch 10 will get a faster processor Gurman says, though whether or not the long-awaited blood pressure and sleep apnea detection features will be included remains to be seen – Gurman's sources say that some "serious snags" may mean those upgrades are delayed to next year.

Apple is going to make its next smartwatch thinner apparently, which is something we've heard before, but Gurman reports that there are no plans at the moment to put Apple Intelligence features directly on the Apple Watch.

As for Apple's other watch models, it doesn't sound as though much is going to change with the Apple Watch Ultra 3, while the Apple Watch SE might switch to a plastic build from aluminum in order to bring costs down further (and complete with the newly launched Samsung Galaxy Watch FE).

Everything should be made official in September, when we're expecting Apple to launch the Watch 10 alongside the iPhone 16 series. Before that, we've got the grand unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and the Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra happening on July 10, giving Apple's rival the chance to hog the smartwatch limelight for a couple of months.

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David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.