Images of purported third-party accessories for the rumored Apple Watch Pro are making the rounds this morning, and boy do I hope they’re legit. Those cutouts mean one or two more physical buttons are being added to the left of the display. CAD drawings later released by 91mobiles show a flat display and a single new button on the left side below a redesigned speaker vent, while a new protrusion on the right houses the Digital Crown, mic, and button.
If true, it means that Apple really understands the multisport athletes this watch is supposedly targeting. Adventure junkies like touchscreens for some things, but need to have big grabby buttons when in the surf, under water, on the slopes, and bombing down trails.
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A variety of images were posted to twitter via reputable leakers Sonny Dickson and DuanRui (via Weibo). They appear to show decorative case accessories for the Apple Watch Pro which Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says will have a larger display with a low-power mode, larger battery, and a “rugged titanium casing.” 91Mobile’s “industry sources” says the Apple Watch Pro case measures 49mm, which isn’t the biggest multisport watch out there, but it’s close.
I hope it’s more waterproof too, as the current Apple Watch’s WR50 rating is only suitable for swimming in shallow water, not for activities like kitesurfing, water skiing, or scuba diving. Hell, let’s add data and emergency satellite connectivity to the wishlist as well.
We’ll be able finally separate fact from fiction on Wednesday when Apple is set to announce the Apple Watch Pro alongside the iPhone 14 series.
Update September 5th, 8:10AM ET: Added CAD renders and information from 91Mobiles.
