We’re currently on Series 6 of the Apple Watch, which just like all of Apple’s devices, improves incrementally with every new model released. However, the Apple Watch could soon go in a new direction and introduce a rugged version with an eye on the extreme sports market.
As Bloomberg reports, Apple is thought to be considering introducing a new Watch using a rugged casing, with the target audience being athletes, extreme sports participants, as well as everyone who enjoys outdoor activities and doesn’t want to worry about breaking their smartwatch.
Although existing models do cater to those markets to some extent already, the introduction of a more rugged version is being considered due to other watchmakers seeing strong sales from targeting that segment of the market specifically. If introduced, the rugged Apple Watch is expected to sit alongside the Series 6, the Watch SE, and other special editions, and would offer no additional functionality. It would simply be capable of functioning in more extreme conditions and dealing with bigger impacts.
The benefits for Apple launching an extreme Watch are clear. It would offer a new way to market the Apple Watch, an opportunity for sponsorships in multiple professional sports, and Apple could charge a higher price for what is effectively the same Watch hardware in a more robust case. On top of that, it would be a new showcase for Apple’s growing list of health and fitness tracking features.
