In the latest episode of the Macrumors podcast, renowned display analyst Ross Young was featured as a guest. Young has a good insight into Apple’s supply chain and has often been able to provide useful insight into upcoming products.
Low volume production for Apple Watch Pro
As was rumoured over the weekend, Apple may be about to release an Apple Watch Pro. The device is said to be made from more premium materials with increased durability. And it will add important features for power users and endurance athletes such as a larger display and a bigger battery.
If correct, the device may retail for as much as $900-$999. An eye-watering price for a wearable. The price point may deter all but the most passionate of Apple Watch enthusiasts and those with a need for the specific feature set. So much so that Young predicts that as few as one million units have been or will be manufactured in Q322.
Delays expected for 120hz external display
Earlier this year, Apple unveiled the Studio Display. The device while not cheap at $1599, is significantly less expensive than Apple’s mini-LED equipped ProDisplay XDR. However, neither of these devices feature ProMotion, Apple’s marketing term for a high refresh rate display of 120hz or more.
According to Young, a 27-inch mini-LED, 120hz display is on the way but his sources point to a delayed release date. Originally, Young predicted that we might see this new device make an appearance in October of 2022. Now, however, it seems that plans have changed and the release date has been pushed back to early 2023.
This new display may not replace the ProDisplay XDR which is a much larger, 32″ panel with a 6K resolution. The ProDisplay XDR is also individually calibrated with support for reference modes and offers exceptional colour accuracy. Of course, the price point reflects that at an eye-watering $4999 starting point.
The AppleTLDR take
As with any rumours, do take them with a pinch of salt. While supply chain analysts often have a unique insight into the end-to-end manufacturing process, Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO often urges caution:
“I’d stress that even if a particular data point were factual, it would be impossible to interpret for our overall business, ” he added. “ Yields can vary. Supplier performance can vary. There’s an inordinately long list of things that would make any single data point not a great proxy for what’s going on.”
Tim Cook
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