The Apple Watch Series 3 models, which are currently being sold out globally on the tech giant's online store, are expected to be discontinued soon. Three out of four Series 3 configurations listed on Apple's website are currently out of stock in the UK and Australia, for example, while one Series 3 model is unavailable in the US store, reports MacRumors.
The upcoming watchOS 9 software update is incompatible with the Apple Watch Series 3, and it is expected that Apple will stop selling the device following the introduction of new Apple Watch models at its special event on Wednesday. New models rumoured to be announced at the event include the Apple Watch Series 8, a higher-end Series 8 model that may be named the Apple Watch Pro, and a second-generation Apple Watch SE.
The original Apple Watch SE would likely replace the Series 3 as the new lowest-priced model. Introduced in 2017, the Apple Watch Series 3 is outdated and on its final days as watchOS 9 nears release for the Series 4 and newer later this month.
The tech giant is expected to announce four new iPhone 14 models at its "Far Out" event on Wednesday. The event will showcase the new iPhone 14 lineup, Watches, and other products. It will be an in-person event at Apple's Cupertino campus in the US, the company's first big event to take place since the two years of the pandemic.
Meanwhile, riding on its Watch Series 7 sales, Apple registered a whopping 197 per cent (year-on-year) growth in the smartwatch market in India in the June quarter (Q2). According to a Counterpoint Research report, The Watch Series 7 continued to be its best seller and has reached to almost 250,000 shipments till the end of the quarter in the country.
"With upcoming launches in Q3 2022, Apple is expected to gain further market share," the recent report said.
In Q1 2022, Apple grew 104 per cent (YoY) with its series 7 variants contributing two-thirds of the shipments. It led the premium segment (Rs 30,000 and above) with over 87 per cent share in India in the first three months of this year. Apple's next generation of Watch Series 8 is likely to include a rugged Pro model that will come with an all-new design with a "more durable formulation of titanium to make it extra rugged".
According to earlier reports, the screen of the Apple Watch Pro model is likely to be 7 per cent bigger than the current Apple Watch Series 7 models, expected to be launched on September 7 along with other models. This will "the first time the company introduces a new Apple Watch design since 2018."
That design will reportedly be "an evolution of the current rectangular shape, and not circular."
The design will also avoid "flat sides" and use a "more durable formulation of titanium to make it extra rugged."
The Apple Watch is expected to come with a bigger battery and rugged metal casing. The display will measure almost two inches diagonally. The display will also have a resolution of about 410 pixels by 502 pixels.