The Apple Watch 7 price is one of the bigger product mysteries ahead of the Apple Event taking place on September 14. Little intel concerning the cost of Apple's next smartwatch has surfaced in the months we've tracked rumors and leaks all around the internet.
Still, we can make some educated about the Apple Watch 7 price based on the smartwatch's history. The Apple Watch 4 and every generation since has started at $399 for the 40mm size option without LTE (Cellular) connectivity.
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The 44mm versions have started at $429, while all LTE-equipped models cost $100 more for both sizes. So if you bought a Apple Watch 6 with Cellular at full retail, you spent as much $529. Hopefully, you found a discount with one of the best Apple Watch deals, though.
The Apple Watch SE is the only deviation from this price structure. Apple's first true midrange smartwatch (and the best Apple Watch for those on a budget) starts at $279. That's still more than the entry-level Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, but a bargain for iOS users who don't mind compromising on certain features.
Better yet, the Apple Watch SE comes in an LTE version for just $50 more than the non-LTE version. Samsung set the same premium for its entire Galaxy Watch lineup a few years ago, but Apple has upheld a higher fee for letting its flagship work free from an iPhone.
If anything about the Apple Watch 7 price is different compared to past years, I think it'll be the added cost for LTE. I can't see a reason the Apple Watch 7's LTE add-on can't be the same price as the Apple Watch SE's.
Not only would it be a smart move in terms of competition, it would probably convince more shoppers to splurge on LTE and hook their Apple Watch up to a wireless provider. Then, for about $10 per month, they can make calls, send texts and speak to Siri untethered from their iPhone.
Will production snags impact Apple Watch 7 price?
Though I'm fairly confident the Apple Watch 7 won't see a price increase, news from the production line suggests the new smartwatch's design changes have complicated availability.
According to Bloomberg, the Apple Watch 7 is "suffering production snags" due to the rumored, flat-edged redesign. It is also believed Apple is altering the Apple Watch's screen sizes — only the second time it's done so, growing its smartwatch from 40 and 44mm to 41 and 45mm options.
As a result, there might be less Apple Watch 7 supply at launch than meets demand. It seems most likely the new Apple Watch would start shipping once manufacturing catches up, but it could still be difficult to get the company's latest wrist candy compared to past launches.
Will that factor into cost? My gut says no, though it's not long now until we find out. If all goes according to plan, the Apple Watch 7 price will be revealed next Tuesday at the Apple event, and we'll be here to bring you all the details as they're announced.
