A new Apple Watch as well as the Apple Watch 7 could arrive later this year, with Apple reportedly developing a ruggedized version of its flagship smartwatch and targeting Garmin's outdoor sports enthusiast demographic.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, "people familiar with the matter" say an Apple Watch for extreme sports athletes could arrive as early as 2021. It will likely be a complementary product to the seventh-generation Apple Watch, much like the Apple Watch SE was offered with the Apple Watch 6 last year.

So what makes the rugged Apple Watch different from what we already know, Gurman's sources say Apple could introduce a new rubber-finish exterior that is more protective than the familiar aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel cases Gurman says.

The Apple Watch is already a capable outdoor companion that offers GPS, emergency services, and all sorts of activity tracking, but it is not usually favored by serious hikers, bikers, or rock climbers. Instead, most of the best sports watches boast military-grade durability, including better water, temperature, and scratch resistance.

The leading outdoor sports watches also offer significantly improved battery life compared to existing Apple Watches. Most versions of Apple's smartwatch last about 18 hours, but that estimate wanes when continuous GPS tracking is used; 18 hours means that some outdoor-focused wearables can last 18 hours in active GPS mode alone. [The recently launched Garmin Enduro can last up to a year (365 days) in optimized battery-saving mode.

If Apple intends to compete with the best Garmin watches, it could improve the overall battery life of the Apple Watch. Since this is an upgrade that has been desired by Apple Watch fans for several years, we are cautiously optimistic that it will eventually happen.

Even Bloomberg's sources have tempered their information. People "familiar with the matter" said that a ruggedized model of the Apple Watch could still be canceled or delayed. Apparently, this is not the first time Apple has considered launching a smartwatch variation of this kind.

Whether you are a longtime outdoor sports enthusiast or you started a new adventurous activity last year due to safety limitations of indoor activities, a dedicated sports watch is a wise investment; notable models like the Garmin fenix 6 and Enduro are not cheap I say investment because they are not.

It will be interesting to see if the rumored Apple Watch with its rugged case comes at the same high cost as other high-end cases. If you need a low-cost sports watch, consider the Garmin Instinct or the Amazfit T-Rex Pro.

If indeed a rugged Apple Watch is to be released this year along with the Series 7, expect more big leaks in the coming months. Regularly, Apple plans to refresh the Apple Watch every September.

And if the rugged Apple Watch does not appear this year, what tricks does Apple have in store? Apple split its Apple Watch and iPhone events last year, so the Apple Watch 7 may not debut alongside the iPhone 13; an Apple Watch-centric keynote would need something other than the flagship model to give it some fodder.