Apple has been reported to be considering releasing a new kind of Apple Watch designed for use in “extreme environments.” According to a report from Bloomberg, the iPhone-maker is said to have been internally discussing a release as early as this year or 2022.

The new watch is built to offer the basic functionality of a regular Apple Watch but with a more rugged look such as a rubberized exterior. The report goes further to say that the company is also planning on new swim-tracking features for its watches.

This plan could confuse some since the current models are already popular for exercise tracking and are water-resistant to up to 50 meters. However, the watch is still considered fragile when it comes to extreme sports like water-skiing without any additional protection.

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Of course, we do not expect the smartwatch to suddenly look like a Casio G-Shock but at least one that offers much more substantial reason to upgrade.

According to Bloomberg, this is not the first time that Apple has considered releasing this rugged version. The previous time this was on the table was back in 2015 after the launch of the original Apple Watch. But the plans were never realised and there’s still a high chance that the current plans could be cancelled or delayed.

What does make it promising though, is the fact that Apple seems to plan on releasing more models of the watch rather than the one variant every year. This was made clear with the release of the Apple Watch SE designed to be a more affordable option but an upgraded version of the third model.