Apple Watch Series 7 getting bigger screens without bigger cases is huge

Recent rumors have the upcoming Apple Watch Series 7 benefitting from larger screens than its predecessors. That means we'll see new watches in 41mm and 45mm configurations — an increase of 1mm over the existing 40mm and 44mm offerings we have with Apple Watch Series 6 — currently the best Apple Watch on the market. But notably, it doesn't seem that the overall size of the case is getting any bigger — and that's huge.

It's huge for a couple of reasons, but the most obvious is that it means those who like a smaller watch won't have to deal with the loss of the 40mm option. In effect, the new 41mm Apple Watch will have a very similar — if not identical — size that a 40mm model would.

It also means that the current crop of Apple Watch bands will continue to work just fine on Apple Watch Series 7, and that's a huge deal for anyone that has a drawer full of these things. I'm not naming any names, but more than zero iMore writers fall into that category.

You can probably guess.

Source: Jon Prosser x RendersByIan

If all of this sounds familiar, it should. Apple first launched its wearable with 38mm and 42mm options, and those devices grew to 40mm and 44mm devices with the arrival of the Apple Watch Series 4. So the watch itself did grow a tad, but not by the numbers you might expect, given the 2mm bump in screen size. And yes, Apple made sure that the existing crop of Apple Watch bands would fit. What's more, Apple Watch bands designed for the new watches also worked with the old ones.

I'd expect much the same story this time around, too. However, we've already heard rumors that Apple Watch Series 7 will see the wearable's bezels shrink, likely ensuring the new screens don't mean added space. Regardless, the new watches may even feel smaller thanks to the edgy look they're getting — all signs point to the bulbous sides going away, with squared-off sides replacing them. In fact, some renders appear to show the sides being ever-so-slightly concave!

All of this should make for quite the Apple Watch refresh within the next few weeks. Throw in the iPhone 13 announcement and new AirPods, iPads, and Macs, and the end of 2021 is set to be a big one for Apple. And credit cards around the world, too!

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