Apple Watch X is the next long-rumoured major update to the Apple Watch. Set to be the new best Apple Watch, it’s expected to cram in a bunch of new features. But this new rumour suggests it may cram in extra hardware, too.
A new rumour from Digitimes says the Apple Watch X will be shedding a few digital pounds – or millimeters, to be precise. The report says that Apple is gearing up to introduce a thinner motherboard in its next iteration of the Apple Watch.
DigitTimes has a bit of a spotty record when it comes to predicting Apple’s moves, but a solid one for sniffing out what’s happening in the supply chain. The report says that Nan Ya PCB, a company with a history of helping Apple save space, will be working on the upcoming Apple Watch X model as well.
The magic ingredient here? Resin-coated copper (RCC), a sleek combination of copper and resin that sounds more like a fancy cocktail than a piece of tech. This isn’t just any old motherboard material; it’s set to replace the typical nonconductive layers that currently lounge around inside our devices. The result? A slimmer profile, which might not necessarily mean a skinnier Apple Watch, but it could allow more room for other juicy components.
Why does this matter?
While the motherboard might be going on a diet, the overall chassis of the watch might not. This could mean Apple is planning to pack more into the watch, like a bigger battery or even a blood pressure monitor, which has been a chatter among the tech circles for a while now.
However, keep your scepticism handy because, despite the excitement, there’s a wrinkle in the timeline. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reckons that RCC technology might not be ready for prime time until the third quarter of 2024, which would miss the 2024 launch window for the Apple Watch Series X. He’s pegging this tech for the 2025 iPhone 17 instead, due to concerns over RCC’s fragility.
