Apple is working on an Apple Watch Series 8 model with a larger display, according to DSCC's Ross Young and Haitong International Securities's Jeff Pu.
In October last year, Young suggested that the Apple Watch Series 8 could come in three display sizes. Now, responding to a query about the rumor on Twitter, Young claims that the additional display size joining the Apple Watch lineup will be 1.99-inches in size diagonally.
Likewise, in a note to investors seen by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu mentioned that Apple supplier Luxshare will be the "sole supplier" for a "high-end" 2-inch Apple Watch model this year. It seems likely that the 1.99-inch display size presented by Young has simply been rounded up by Pu.
A 1.99-inch Apple Watch display size compares to 1.691-inches on the 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 and 1.901-inches on the 45mm Apple Watch Series 7. The new display size would offer an additional 0.089-inches of space diagonally over the 45mm Apple Watch Series 7, which is almost a five percent increase.
It is possible that the slightly larger display size relates to the rumored redesign for the Apple Watch Series 8 with flat edges. Earlier this year, the leaker known as "ShrimpApplePro," who correctly said that the Apple Watch Series 7 would feature a rounded design like the Apple Watch Series 6, claimed that Apple was working on a "flat front glass display" for the Apple Watch Series 8. It seems plausible that an Apple Watch design with flat edges, first raised by leaker Jon Prosser in 2021, would feature a slightly larger flat top surface area, which could explain a five percent display size increase, although this remains speculation.
It is also of note that Young and Pu's claims could also line up with rumors about this year's "rugged" Apple Watch model, which is expected to join the Apple Watch lineup alongside the other Series 8 models. Flagship Apple Watches have historically only ever been offered in two size options, so a third, larger display size could correlate with a new, additional Apple Watch "Explorer Edition" variant, especially if this is also the model to offer a new design with flat edges.
