Apple Watch Series 8 could get the biggest screen Apple ever put on a wrist

Apple Watch Series 7 (Image credit: Stephen Warwick / iMore)

What you need to know

A new, larger Apple Watch is rumored for release this year.
The new watch is said to have a 2-inch display.
It's unclear if this will be the new rugged Apple Watch or an addition to the standard model's 41mm and 45mm options.

A new report adds further weight to the expectation that Apple Watch Series 8 will have the biggest display Apple has ever put into its wearables.

We'd already heard from display analyst Ross Young that a third size could be offered as part of the Apple Watch Series 8 launch, but now a new report suggests that new size will be at the top end, not the bottom. That means that the 41mm and 45mm options we currently have will be joined by a new, larger one.

According to a note to investors from Haitong International Securities' Jeff Pu, seen by MacRumors, the new addition will be a 2-inch part built exclusively by Luxshare. Young has also backed that up with a new post to Twitter, suggesting that 1.99 inches could be the size — something that seems to simply be a case of rounding rather than competing viewpoints.

The move to a larger Apple Watch display could coincide with the arrival of a new rugged Apple Watch and it isn't clear whether this new size will be used solely for that particular wearable. An Apple Watch designed specifically for outdoor and extreme sports would likely require a larger display for easier reading, although it remains to be seen whether the standard Apple Watch will also offer the larger option.

Apple is expected to announce the new rugged Apple Watch and Apple Watch Series 8 alongside a new Apple Watch SE 2 product, likely in or around September or October. Those months are already looking likely to be busy ones for Apple, with new iPhone 14 handsets already in the cards. Apple is also expected to finally ditch the Apple Watch Series 3 from its lineup.

With multiple new models on the cards, these Prime Day Apple Watch deals could present a could opportunity to pick up a bargain if you don't want to upgrade to the latest version.

The newest flagship Apple Watch

Apple Watch Series 7

Bigger, brighter, slightly better

You can buy the Apple Watch from Amazon if you prefer. Just remember you may be limited to only certain band combinations and models on Amazon. Plus, it's possible they will have less stock than buying from Apple directly.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.