Leaked Flat Edge Apple Watch May Be Next Year’s Design [Gruber]

A new flat-edge design for the Apple Watch did not get unveiled this year, despite the many rumors and leaks predicting it would. In a new report, Daring Fireball’s John Gruber suggests it’s possible the leaked design is actually next year’s Apple Watch.

These designs are set long in advance. In fact, from what I’ve heard, the flat-edge watch designs might be legitimate leaks, but they’re next year’s designs. That’s how far in advance Apple works on hardware — they were already in the advanced stages of designing the 2022 Apple Watches months ago. (Aesthetically, I am not sold on a flat-edge design for the watch. The round edges are iconic and organic.)

Gruber notes that while the Series 7 isn’t massive redesign, it does have a new brighter and larger screen, new crystal, and faster charging, all of which would have required time to develop. It’s unlikely that Apple slapped the design together last minute due to production difficulties.

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