The Apple Watch 7 release date is now official. After announcing at the most recent Apple event that the next-generation smartwatch will be available "later this year," an update on the release date was released on the Apple Newsroom.

Pre-orders for the Apple Watch 7 will open this Friday, October 8, at 8 a.m. ET/PT. The smartwatch will be available in stores the following Friday, October 15; the Apple Watch Series 7 will start at $399, with a premium for larger case sizes and Cellular compatibility.

To pre-order the Apple Watch 7, set your alarm for October 8; Apple's website and mobile Apple Store app will be updated with Apple Watch 7 colors, new Apple Watch 7 sizes, and familiar connectivity options The new Apple Watch 7 will be available in a variety of colors, new sizes, and familiar connectivity options. You should also see an option to trade in your Apple Watch, so you can return your current model to Apple for a Series 7 credit.

The main upgrades of the Apple Watch 7 are a more curved casing and a larger display that is said to offer up to 20% more area than the Apple Watch 6. Another difference between the Apple Watch 7 and the Apple Watch 6 is that the screen of the latest model is 70% brighter. Apple's latest wearable also comes with a USB-C cord for faster charging.

In addition to the fairly subtle design changes, the Apple Watch 7 comes with watchOS 8. if you know how to download watchOS 8, you can use it on your Apple Watch 3 or the new Apple Watch right now to try out all the underrated watchOS 8 You can use it right now on your Apple Watch 3 or a new Apple Watch to try out all of the underrated watchOS 8 features.

Due to rumored production issues, the Apple Watch 7 may not ship with the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro series starting in September. Nevertheless, the company unveiled its latest wearable during its California Streaming keynote.

Over the weekend, we got our first real glimpse of what appears to be the Apple Watch 7 through screenshots shared by MacRumors. As promised, the smartwatch pictured has a spacious screen. We can also see the new QWERTY keyboard, one of the features that Apple is specifically hoping to copy from Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4.

Speaking of the Galaxy Watch 4, the title of best smartwatch of the year is now up for grabs with the arrival of the Apple Watch 7. Samsung's latest wearable is the best Samsung Watch, and the Series 7 will likely be the best Apple Watch, but the overall category winner is any company's game.