Excluding the first-gen release in April 2015 and Series 7 in October 2021, all Apple Watches debuted in September. This pattern is set to continue, as a new watchOS entry recently surfaced in the Bluetooth product database a few weeks before the anticipated launch of Apple Watch 9 and Ultra 2 alongside iPhone 15.
MacRumors was the first to notice the listing, which provides limited information: ‘WatchOS Profile Subsystem 2023.’ This entry confirms that upcoming Apple Watches will use Bluetooth, a standard feature for smartwatches.
This practically confirms the launch of new Apple Watches alongside the iPhone 15 series during next month’s Apple event. Although the potential date is September 12, official invitations haven’t been sent yet.
While Apple’s annual Watch release might change, recent discussions suggest a shift from the consistent yearly upgrade cycle. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple is considering fewer but more substantial updates, departing from the incremental changes seen so far. These discussions are in their early stages.
Next year’s tenth-anniversary Apple Watch X is expected to bring significant changes, but this year’s wearables will likely offer incremental improvements. The S9 processor, based on the iPhone 13’s A15 chip, will enhance the watch’s speed and possibly its battery life, particularly for the Ultra model, known for multi-day usage. The main standout feature could be the introduction of a pink color option.
However, the new wearables will ship with watchOS 10, compensating for the lack of major new features, especially for those benefiting from the increased processing power. Here are the key features of watchOS 10 to anticipate, provided your Apple Watch supports it.