Sources: Apple Watch Series 10 will be thinner and have bigger screens; the main Siri upgrade will be part of iOS 18.4, with a January beta and a spring release

As the Apple Watch approaches its 10th birthday, the company is preparing a big update. Also: AirPods with cameras …

Bloomberg 2024-07-08 Mark Gurman

Context & Ripple Effects

This report reinforces earlier reporting on larger Apple Watch case sizes and a thinner design, while tying the watch refresh to a separate Siri software schedule. It also follows prior coverage that framed the anniversary device as a potential major Watch redesign.

The split matters because the hardware update and Siri’s main upgrade are not presented as arriving on the same timetable: the watch changes are tied to Series 10, while the assistant update is assigned to iOS 18.4.

First-order effects

Apple Watch buyers and developers would see Series 10 positioned around a thinner body and larger displays, rather than a wholly separate product category.
Apple’s principal Siri upgrade would move onto the iOS 18.4 release path, with a January beta followed by a spring launch, separating it from the initial iOS 18 cycle.

Second-order effects

The reported screen and enclosure changes raise the importance of component and manufacturing execution; prior reporting specifically pointed to 3D-printed Watch components, making production methods part of the redesign story.
Delaying the main Siri upgrade gives Apple’s existing assistant experience a longer period without the reported changes, while concentrating developer and user attention on the iOS 18.4 rollout.

Third-order effects

If Apple continues to pair visible wearable refinements with later software releases, product upgrades may increasingly be judged as staggered hardware-and-services roadmaps rather than single launch-day packages.
The pattern suggests Apple is using platform releases to extend the value of device cycles; its durability depends on whether later software improvements materially change the user experience.

The trend: Apple is increasingly coordinating hardware refreshes with follow-on operating-system updates, spreading major product value across a device cycle rather than a single launch.

Discussion

@zollotech Aaron Zollo on x
Well that's later than expected.
@betaprofiles @betaprofiles on x
According to Mark Gurman, features like Siri onscreen awareness and Siri's personal context awareness won't arrive until at least next spring, with the iOS 18.4 update. Changes such as the new Siri UI and integration with ChatGPT are expected to debut later this year. [image]
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
More in this week's Power On: Apple Intelligence's major Siri upgrades are set for next spring, the latest on AirPods with cameras and Apple will get an OpenAI board observer seat https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@tgod34748 @tgod34748 on x
New chip is pretty surprising to see only a year after the A16-based S9 SiP. Maybe S10 is based on A17 or A18. 3nm process coming to the Apple Watch?
@leakerapple @leakerapple on x
This makes sense. Apple needs to build out their Private Cloud Compute server infrastructure to support 1 billion + Siri requests daily. Yes some Siri requests will be processed on-device but nobody except Apple knows what percentage is local vs cloud.
@dimillian Thomas Ricouard on x
This was not a good WWDC lol
@parkerortolani Parker Ortolani on x
Smartwatches are the new boring category.
@davezatz Dave Zatz on x
Nearly another year of Siri suckage, great.
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
Power On: What's next for the Apple Watch, including larger screens and new chip for the Series 10, changes to the Ultra 3 and a new SE. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
r/apple r on reddit
What's Next for the Apple Watch: Bigger Screens But a Similar Look

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