Many sources report that the new Apple Watch 7 will feature the first screen size increase since the fourth generation introduced in 2018.While a 1mm change to 41mm and 45mm may not sound like much, this could mean that across the diagonal, the larger model will go from 1.78 inches to 1.9 inches, which could mean that the larger models will be 1.78 inches to 1.9 inches.

While generally regarded as a positive move, it raises the interesting question of what will happen to existing bands, both Apple and third-party. Previous leaks have suggested that older straps will continue to fit the Apple Watch 7, but Max Weinbach of Android Police speculates that this may not be the case, based on what he has heard from Apple Store employees.

Anecdotal observations such as these should be treated with a degree of skepticism, and there is reason to be especially cautious here. The team only "expects" that Watch will not use the same strap, and Weinbach's source is only one member of that team. Maybe it is no longer available at their particular store, but it is available at all other stores in the area. Maybe they need to get rid of the surplus. Maybe they will get more in stock, but will Apple first have to rework the packaging to show that the product is compatible with both 40mm and 41mm versions?

All of these things are possible, or the source of the wine bags may be bang for the buck. Perhaps the new design simply doesn't fit the old generation, and/or Apple sees an opportunity to sell new straps to people who have been using the same ones since the first generation of watches came out in 2015.

After six years of band compatibility, we can't complain too much if the seventh-generation Apple Watch mixes things up. After all, we don't expect iPhone cases to work from one generation to the next, so should Apple Watch straps really be any different? The device will almost certainly be bundled with a strap of some sort, so that buyers are never stuck without one.

In addition to making things easier to read on the wrist in general, the new larger Apple Watch 7 screen could lead to many brand new watch faces. Not all new designs will ultimately make it onto the Apple Watch 7, but Apple is apparently considering designs that feature a number of extra complications stacked side by side, or that display all 24 time zones of the world simultaneously.

Hopefully, we may see the new watch at this month's Apple Event, but production lines are reportedly running into problems that could delay the launch of the Apple Watch 7 or make it available in limited quantities.