Apple Watch Series 6 Apple Watch SeSource: Daniel Bader / iMore

What you need to know

  • Apple is said to be set to refresh the Apple Watch SE next year.
  • Alongside Apple Watch Series 8, a new rugged model is thought to also be in the works.

While it's expected that Apple Watch Series 7 will get a refresh with the launch of a new Series 8 next year, it now appears that Apple Watch SE could also get some love. What's more, the oft-rumored rugged Apple Watch is once again being spoken about.

According to Mark Gurman, via his Bloomberg Power On newsletter, Apple is ready to give the Apple Watch SE its first refresh since its introduction in 2020. It isn't immediately clear what that will entail, but it should help cement the product's label as perhaps the best Apple Watch for most people. A new Apple Watch Series 8 would likely be the best watch overall, but with a considerably higher asking price.

Apple is again rumored to have a rugged Apple Watch set for launch. We heard rumors of a rugged design earlier this year but nothing has shipped so far. It's possible that will happen next year, however.

Here's what Gurman said back in March:

If Apple goes ahead this time, the rugged version would be an additional model similar to how Apple offers a lower-cost option called the Apple Watch SE and special editions co-branded with Nike Inc. and Hermes International. Sometimes dubbed the "Explorer Edition" inside Apple, the product would have the same functionality as a standard Apple Watch but with extra impact-resistance and protection in the vein of Casio's G-Shock watches.

Apple has already improved the ruggedness of its Apple Watch Series 7, but it's nowhere near as protected as a specifically-designed wearable could be. The idea of an Apple Watch that looks like a G-Shock isn't the worst idea in the world and we might see such a thing launch at some point in 2022 if Gurman is on the money.