Apple Watch 7 leaks hint at squared design, rugged variant, blood sugar tracking

Apple's next smartwatch is shaping up to be something genuinely different, if the whispers circulating through the tech rumor mill are to be believed. For years, the Apple Watch has evolved in incremental steps—the Series 6, which arrived in September 2020, was largely a refinement of what came before it. The Series 5 added an always-on display. Each generation has been competent, iterative, measured. But the leaks and analyst predictions now surfacing suggest that Apple may be ready to break that pattern with the Series 7.

The most striking rumor involves the watch's physical form. Unofficial renders, purportedly based on leaked photographs of the actual device, show a watch with squared-off edges rather than the rounded curves that have defined the product since its inception. The design echoes the aesthetic shift Apple made with the iPhone 12, trading soft corners for more angular, geometric lines. If accurate, this would represent the most significant visual overhaul to the watch since the original model debuted. The crown and side buttons appear unchanged in these renders, and there's no indication that the core functionality would shift—but the silhouette alone would be enough to make the watch feel like a genuinely new product rather than another minor refresh.

Beyond the squared edges, there are hints of something more ambitious. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with a strong track record of predicting Apple's moves, has suggested in research notes that a "significant form factor design change" is coming to the watch line. That cryptic language has sparked speculation about a rugged variant—a more durable version built to withstand extreme conditions, separate from the standard model. It's an intriguing idea, though Apple has historically resisted the urge to splinter its product lines with specialized variants. The company tends to prefer elegant, singular designs rather than multiple tiers. Still, the rumor persists that such a device is in development.

The most tantalizing possibility involves health tracking. Blood sugar monitoring has emerged as a potential feature for the Series 7, though the technical path to implementing it remains murky. Most glucose monitors require direct blood access, typically through a needle or sensor—not something Apple would likely pursue on a wrist-worn device. Yet the capability would be genuinely transformative for people managing diabetes or other conditions requiring close glucose monitoring. It would build on the electrocardiogram feature introduced in the Series 5 and the blood oxygen sensor that debuted in the Series 6, extending the watch's role as a personal health instrument.

The catch is timing and certainty. These are rumors, not confirmations. Some reports suggest blood sugar tracking might not arrive until the Series 8 in 2022, pushing the feature beyond the Series 7 launch expected later this year. The squared design has more credibility given the leaked renders, but even that remains unconfirmed. What's clear is that Apple's wearable division is being pushed to innovate in ways it hasn't in years. Whether the company will actually deliver on these possibilities—or whether the Series 7 will prove to be another measured step forward—remains to be seen.