Apple Watch Series 7 features the same SoC as last year

Apple Watch Series 7 was announced at the California Streaming event. It features a larger display, thinner bezels, faster charging, and user interface improvements to adapt to the larger screen real estate. However, the launch date is unknown as Apple only said that it will launch this fall. In another strange move, Apple did not share any details of the SoC inside the new Apple Watch Series 7 during the event, and neither did it put up a tech specifications page on its website.

As it turns out, Apple Watch Series 7 uses the same SoC (CPU and GPU) as last year’s Apple Watch Series 6. This has been found in Xcode, Apple’s development app, by eagle-eyed developer Steve Troughton-Smith.

Apple Watch Series 7

New Apple Watch Series 7 features old CPU

Xcode revealed that Apple Watch Series 7 features the same Silicon as its predecessor, marked with the model number t8301.

There are a few possibilities if we put on our speculation hat:

  • Apple has not updated details in Xcode because it has yet to finalize the new SoC for Apple Watch Series 7.
  • Apple had challenges procuring enough new SoC units for the new Watch which is why rumors of production issues were making the rounds. The company made a last-minute switch to last year’s tried and tested SoC to ensure that it can launch its new Apple Watch update this year.

The production delays were shared by Nikkei earlier this month, however, they did not refer specifically to the SoC, but rather an overall challenge with putting together the components in the new Watch.

Three sources said the current disappointing production quality could be attributed to the complexity of design, which is significantly different from that of previous generations of the watch, and the assemblers found issues when putting together electronics modules, components and displays.

It is odd that Apple still decided to announce Apple Watch Series 7 despite not having a proper launch date. It points to the possibility that the issues are still unresolved or that the company is not confident in producing enough units for a launch.

In case your decision to buy the new Apple Watch Series 7 relies on its performance, note that the chip on the previous model was 20 percent faster and more efficient than its predecessors. It is no slouch in the performance department, but then again, the same can be said of Series 5 too, which yours truly uses as a daily driver.

The Apple Watch Series 6 is powered by the new custom Apple Silicon, S6. The processing chip has made the new smartwatch 20 percent faster than its predecessor, and more energy-efficient. S6 is the optimized version of the iPhone 11 chip designed to bring changes like 2 times brighter display in the sun, to show the change in elevation in real-time, and more.

Check out more of our ongoing coverage of the new Apple Watch and related announcements:

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