The next Apple launch event will take place on September 7. Apple has confirmed it. This is the big reveal of iPhone 14, but we also think the Apple Watch 8 will get its moment in the spotlight on the same date.
It’s not the only point in the rest of 2022 that this could happen. But we have four reasons why we believe it’s going to happen, and we bet the iPod touch at the bottom of our sock drawer will.
Big changes for this year are said to include a temperature sensor, perhaps a new Watch SE model, and a new Apple Watch Pro variant with an even bigger screen. Can’t wait for the new Apple Watch? This is why you should mark September 7 on your calendar.
1. History tells us it will happen
Every Apple Watch bar the original has been announced alongside that year’s new iPhones. 2022 may have been rough, but not quite rough enough to take Apple’s train-like event momentum too much off course. Here’s the history of Apple Watch’s announcement dates so far, for a full picture:
- Apple Watch: April 2015
- Apple Watch Series 2: September 2016
- Apple Watch Series 3: September 2017
- Apple Watch Series 4: September 2018
- Apple Watch Series 5: September 2019
- Apple Watch SE: September 2020
- Apple Watch Series 6: September 2020
- Apple Watch Series 7: September 2021
The availability of the latest model, Apple Watch 7, was delayed for a month due to manufacturing issues, which have hit many tech companies since 2020 due to the global health crisis. The fact that it was only a month was remarkable in itself.
Not only is Apple’s regularity important to the stock’s valuation, but it seems to feed that sense of endless innovation technology companies. If the release window is derailed, Apple’s generally super high customer satisfaction is at risk of a dip if Apple decides to release a new model next year in significantly less than 12 months. People generally don’t like their expensive technology looking outdated That fast.
2. (Almost) all analysts agree
Many rumors and leaks simply assume that the Apple Watch Series 8 will be announced along with the iPhone 14. It’s just business as usual.
Mark Gurman of Bloomberg (opens in new tab), which is one of the more reliable sources for pre-release Apple info, linked the Apple launch event on September 7 long before it was announced. He specifically mentions the Apple Watch Series 8 alongside the iPhone 14, and claims the release date will be September 16. This is normal for Apple, with only a slight delay between the launch and the availability of the Apple Store.
This comes from a recent report published on August 17, which is a little late to push the timing back due to anything other than an emergency.
3. Apple can’t put Google in the spotlight
The two possible points we know of when Apple could announce the Apple Watch Series 8 are in September with the unveiling of the iPhone 14, and in October, when a range of iPads are rumored to be discussed.
Other industry rumors view the September event as the better option. Google is expected to fully unveil the Pixel Watch in October, after the sneak preview during Google IO. Leaker Jon Prosser claims the date is October 13.
Apple won’t want to compete for attention in the same category with arguably its biggest rival. This is especially true in this case, as the Pixel Watch represents a kind of reboot of Wear OS. Even if this reboot actually started in August 2021 with the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, the first watch to use WearOS 3.
4. The new features fit an iPhone staple
Apple can either launch the Apple Watch Series 8 with this year’s new iPhones or the upcoming iPads that Apple is expected to unveil about a month later in October. When you see the rumors about new health-focused features of the watch and the existing features that interact with your phone, such as answering and rejecting calls, it becomes clear that the iPhone is a better partner.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is likely to have a new temperature sensor, which can be used to alert the wearer to possible impending illnesses and to track menstrual cycles. All of these things feed into Apple Health, which is often discussed — you guessed it — during iPhone launches. And WWDC, but that’s already happened this year.
While all products in a launch event don’t have to be completely connected as organs in one being, Apple does its best to give its presentations a strong sense of direction and story. Having these links between categories does just that.