An Apple Watch Air would win the smartwatch game – again

(Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

As soon as the words escaped my lips, I knew it was like a talisman, something so precious and wonderful that I'd want to hold onto it and wish it into existence: Apple Watch Air.

I brought up the idea during a recent TechRadar podcast and have not stopped thinking about it since.

Apple could make the case stronger but thinner, allowing more space for the battery.
It could also make the S11 SiP (the successor the Apple Watch Series 10's S10 SiP) more efficient.
Apple might also introduce a tiny solar panel in the Air for sunlight-charging.

If Apple does introduce a super-thin Apple Watch Air, I'd also like to see the case shape redesigned. I'm not sure Apple would consider a circular face because it might look too much like the Google Pixel Watch 3, which is about to get an update next month, at the Made by Google event, to the Pixel Watch 4.

I say, "So what?" Apple can do whatever watch shape it wants, but it shouldn't shy away from the circle just because competitors have used it before. The reality is that there are a limited number of options when it comes to watch design. Outliers, such as long rectangles and cases with extreme curves, are usually weeded out; however, in the watch world, thin and round designs never go out of style.

One of my favorite analog watches is a round, roughly 3 mm thick Longines Watch. Its solid gold case is just gorgeous, and the thin profile makes it the most elegant timepiece in my entire collection.

Useful and gorgeous

I don't think the Apple Watch Series 10 is inelegant. I like it quite a bit and, for sheer utility, it's unbeaten.

At-a-glance notifications keep me on task, and I get a lot of quick text messages that I respond to with a tap or my voice. Yesterday, I answered a call on the watch, and the person on the other end was none the wiser.

Last week, I took a fall and, yes, the Apple Watch looked out for my best interests and immediately asked if I wanted it to contact emergency services (I did not).

These features are all crucial to the success of the Apple Watch, but I just think the look is aging, and it's high time for a radical refresh.

Thin or "Air" devices are all the rage, and I am now convinced that if Apple unveiled an Apple Watch Air in September, I'd be first in line to buy it.

TOPICS

A 38-year industry veteran and award-winning journalist, Lance has covered technology since PCs were the size of suitcases and “on line” meant “waiting.” He’s a former Lifewire Editor-in-Chief, Mashable Editor-in-Chief, and, before that, Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis, Inc. He also wrote a popular, weekly tech column for Medium called The Upgrade.

Lance Ulanoff makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Live with Kelly and Mark, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and the BBC.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.