A ‘Rugged’ Apple Watch for Extreme Athletes?

Apple already owns 40% of the smartwatch market, but the tech giant wants to be more than  a market leader. Internal discussions suggest the company is considering a new watch that comes with casing sturdy enough for extreme athletes, per Bloomberg.

The first Apple Watch launched in 2015, and its improved models continue to grow in adoption among athletes — a 2020 study found 75% of customers are first-time buyers — but Apple wants another option for those looking to go off the beaten path. 

According to Bloomberg, the watch has been referred to as the “Explorer Edition,” and the main difference would be impact-resistance, similar to that of Casio’s popular G-Shock watches.

Current Apple Watches are water-resistant up to 50 meters — more than most smartwatches — but Apple would aim to make the Explorer Edition more “rugged” by using a rubberized exterior. 

Apple doesn’t disclose specifically how much money Apples Watches bring in, but the company’s overall wearables/home/accessories segment recorded $30 billion in sales during its last fiscal year.

New Apple Watch models are typically launched in September, but the progress of the latest model is unknown, and could be canceled at any point, according to people familiar with the matter. If it is released, it may be late this year or in early 2022.