After keeping us waiting for some time, the Apple Watch 7 may be about to be released. And we've just got what could be the first real-life glimpse of the wearable.
These images come from a now-deleted Facebook page for Apple Watch fans and were apparently taken by an individual claiming to be testing the new Watch for a mobile carrier; fortunately MacRumors made a copy before the original images disappeared. Apple's already revealed how the new Apple Watch looks, but being able to see photos of the real thing for the first time is an exciting moment, particularly with the release date tipped to be later this month.
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Looking first at the watch's display, we can see the Apple Watch 7's two major changes. First off, the new larger, rounded shape of the screen is quite visible, with icons and menu elements gently sloping off the sides. This is quite a bit different than the flat-sided watch that Apple was rumored to be making, but it still looks good. The 20% size increase over the Apple Watch 6's display is hard to see here, but supposedly the two watches are the same size, just that the Watch 7 fits more pixels into its frame thanks to skinnier bezels.
The other thing we can see on screen is the new built-in keyboard. Apple's never offered a full keyboard on its wearables before, and it's set to be a welcome change here. If typing on a tiny keyboard doesn't appeal then you still have the option of speech-to-text or drawing letters onto the screen.
There are a few more new features that these images can't show us. On the interior, the Apple Watch 7 boasts a higher IP6X resistance rating against dust and a faster charging speed enabled by a new USB-C cable.
All Apple has said currently about the Apple Watch 7's release date is that it will be "later this fall." However leaker Jon Prosser claims to have a more accurate date, noting that we should see pre-orders open imminently, with the official release coming in "mid-October."
