As the countdown begins for $Apple (AAPL.US)$ "Far Out" hardware launch event on Wednesday, Bloomberg columnist Mark Gurman offered his take on what he said is the most important new product unveil expected at the event.
Apple Playing Catch Up To Garmin: The Apple Watch Pro would be the most significant new product and would be pitched against $Garmin (GRMN.US)$'s high-end rugged watches, Gurman said.
Garmin's watches target heavy-duty athletes such as mountain bikers, hikers and marathon runners, he said.
Apple may be known for its premium products, but Garmin is the market share leader for smartwatches costing over $500, the columnist said.
"With the Apple Watch Pro, that could change," he said.
What To Expect From Apple Watch Pro: The new high-end Apple Watch will have a noticeably larger display to allow users to view redesigned watch faces and more fitness and health-tracking statistics at the same time, Gurman said.
The Apple specialist also expects a larger battery, along with a low-power mode and a rugged titanium casing. He expects an all-new design that revamps a form factor first introduced with the Series 4 in 2018.
He expects the Watch Pro to be priced at $900-$1,000 vs. $1,000-$1,500 for Garmin's high-end watches.
The other two Apple Watches that are expected to be released on Wednesday won't have significant overhauls, Gurman said. The new Apple Watch SE will look like a similar model from 2020 with an upgrade of its chip from the S5 to the S8, he said.
The same processor will likely power the Series 8 standard and Pro models.
Gurman sees a new body-temperature sensor and women's health features related to fertility as the major updates coming in the flagship Series 8 Watch.