Reports regarding the next iteration of Apple Watch are beginning to pick up pace. Last week we covered a rumoured feature in Series 8 of the wearable that will open up more health-related aspects, and now details have emerged about a Watch Pro model.

This comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who unpacked some of his insider knowledge during his weekly Power On newsletter.

In it, Gurman notes that the Pro model will be a tier above the standard options for the Series 8 lineup of Apple Watch devices, with a few improvements in terms of performance and materials added to the mix.

It follows a product roadmap that Apple has utilised for other devices in the past, with the iPhone, iPad and of course the MacBook being the most recognisable.

As for what this Pro model of smartwatch would feature, it looks like “extreme sports” will be the focus, with a slightly larger and shatter resistant display in the offing. Whether this will have any military grade rating is unclear, but the Cupertino-based company will likely market it as being able to take a few more knocks than your normal smartwatch.

Added to this is more advanced tracking for specific workouts like hiking and swimming, with a new case material also being spoken about. What material it will be is unclear, but Gurman has hedged his bets on titanium.

Unfortunately there is no mention of battery life, which remains one of the negative aspects of any Apple Watch, with a charge often needed every evening. If Apple somehow got closer to what some of the Huawei smartwatches can offer, with up to two weeks of battery life, that would certainly make the Pro model a lot more tempting.

For now though, it remains to be seen what the Apple Watch Series 8 Pro will be sporting. In terms of price though, Gurman says a price tag of $900 (~R15 300) is likely, so unsurprisingly the Pro iteration will not come cheap.

The Series 8 is expected to be announced at the end of Q3, so we will need to wait a few more months before it is revealed.

[Source – Bloomberg]