So there may not be an Apple Watch Ultra 3 in 2024? No problem. People only want one thing from the Apple Watch Ultra anyway, and it's not a new version number.

According to a new report from a renowned Apple analyst, there may not be a new Watch Ultra in development. For one reason or another, the company has decided not to develop a Watch Ultra 3 for nowperhaps due to production issues associated with microLED panels.

“ To date, Apple has not yet officially started development of the Apple Watch Ultra 3 », he writes. “This is unusual given the product development timeline. If Apple doesn't officially launch the Apple Watch Ultra 3 project by December, it's all but confirmed that we won't see a new Apple Watch Ultra in 2024".

In a new blog post, longtime Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo dissected Apple's chances of refreshing the Watch Ultra with a 3rd generation model next year. At first glance, little separates the Apple Watch Ultra 2 from its predecessor. However, Apple has made some hardware changes, including a 50% brighter screen, a new chipset, a jump from 32 to 64 GB of storage, and a slightly larger battery.

If Apple doesn't plan to release an Apple Watch Ultra 3 next year, how can we explain the missed year? Kuo suspects Appleneed more time to develop innovative health management features, ensure manufacturing of new features and resolve issues related to Micro LED production".

The Apple Watch Series 10 has debuted

Apple would not have started development of the Watch Ultra 3, unlike the Watch 10 series. According to Kuo, the company has already started to develop a newsmartwatchwith December being the last opportunity for the Watch Ultra 3 to release in 2024. By "release in 2024", Kuo likely means late summer or early fall, with the arrival of the Watch Ultra along with the iPhone and other Apple Watch renewals.

Kuo speculates that microLED production issues could hamper development, as could the lack of "innovative health management features» to distinguish the Watch Ultra 3 from its predecessors. At any rate, analyst predicts 20-30% YoY decline in Watch Ultra shipments in 2024 without new modelas well as a 10% year-over-year reduction to 35 million units for the entire Apple Watch series.

As always, it's important to take early predictions of this type with a grain of skepticism until more concrete information arrives.