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The Apple Watch X name never became real, but the underlying redesign rumor was partly accurate. Apple launched Apple Watch Series 10 in September 2024 with a thinner case and larger display. The same June 2024 roundup also correctly covered Final Cut Camera, while its Back to School promotion and iOS 17.6 beta are now archival. Beats Solo Buds remain the one featured retail product that readers can still evaluate, subject to current price and availability.
The June 22, 2024 Apple roundup was partly right and partly misleading in hindsight. Apple did release a thinner Apple Watch with a larger display, but it was called Apple Watch Series 10, not Apple Watch X. Final Cut Camera launched as described and has since gained more professional features. The Back to School promotion, iOS 17.6 beta, and the original iOS 18 timing predictions are now historical, while the Beats Solo Buds remain an identifiable product in the story.
At a glance: what happened to each story?
| 2024 roundup topic | What ultimately happened |
|---|---|
| Apple Watch X rumor | Apple announced Apple Watch Series 10. It was thinner and had a larger display, but used 42mm and 46mm case sizes rather than the rumored 45mm and 49mm options. |
| Final Cut Camera | Released as a free standalone capture app for iPhone and iPad, as well as a companion for Final Cut Pro for iPad’s Live Multicam feature. |
| Back to School promotion | The 2024 U.S. and Canadian promotion expired on September 30, 2024. It should not be treated as a current deal. |
| Delayed iOS 18 features | The broader prediction was correct: Apple’s iOS 18 features arrived across several releases rather than all at once. |
| Beats Solo Buds | Launched at $79.99 with up to 18 hours of battery life, and remained listed by Beats and Apple afterward. Prices and stock can vary by country and retailer. |
| iOS 17.6 beta | A minor, now-archival software beta released while Apple’s attention was shifting to iOS 18. |
Apple Watch X rumors: the redesign was real, but the name and sizes were wrong
The original report concerned a possible tenth-anniversary Apple Watch. Because the first Apple Watch was unveiled in 2014, some reports speculated that Apple might call the 2024 model “Apple Watch X,” following the anniversary naming logic associated with the iPhone X.
The rumor was never an official product announcement. The reported expectations included a thinner case, larger 45mm and 49mm size options, and possibly a dark finish for an Apple Watch Ultra 3. Those details were forecasts, not confirmed specifications; the contemporary June 2024 roundup presented them as rumors.
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Apple announced Apple Watch Series 10 on September 9, 2024. It went on sale September 20 and delivered the broad direction of the rumor:
- Apple described Series 10 as its thinnest Apple Watch at the time.
- The display was larger than on previous generations, and Apple called it the company’s largest and most advanced Apple Watch display.
- The case was nearly 10 percent thinner than those of Series 7, Series 8, and Series 9.
- New or highlighted capabilities included sleep-apnea notifications, faster charging, water-depth sensing, and water-temperature sensing.
However, the final product did not use the rumored 45mm and 49mm dimensions. Apple’s developer documentation lists Series 10 case sizes as 42mm and 46mm. That difference matters: the rumor correctly identified a design refresh and a larger viewing area, but it should not be used as evidence that Apple had settled on specific dimensions.
The “X” name also did not materialize. A later MacRumors report explained the anniversary theory while stressing that the branding remained speculative. In practical terms, there was no Apple Watch X launch in 2024.
Is another major Apple Watch redesign still rumored?
A separate June 2026 report from 9to5Mac revived the idea of a more radical redesign for a 2027 Apple Watch “Series” model. The report attributed the claim to a Weibo leaker and suggested that Apple could change the band-attachment system. A different attachment design might create more internal room, potentially including room for a larger battery, but it could also make existing bands incompatible.
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Final Cut Camera: Apple’s free iPhone and iPad capture app
This was the strongest technology story in the roundup. Apple released Final Cut Camera on June 20, 2024 alongside Final Cut Pro 2 for iPad and Final Cut Pro 10.8 for Mac. It was not Final Cut Pro for iPhone. Instead, it was a dedicated capture application that could work by itself or feed footage into Apple’s multicamera workflow.
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Apple positioned Final Cut Camera as a free professional video-capture app for iPhone and iPad. Its most distinctive role was supporting Live Multicam in Final Cut Pro for iPad 2. A creator could connect and preview up to four camera angles, with Final Cut Camera supplying wireless feeds from compatible iPhones or iPads.
The app’s controls went beyond a basic phone-camera interface. Apple’s launch announcement lists controls and monitoring tools including:
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- ISO and shutter-speed adjustment;
- focus peaking;
- zebra exposure indicators; and
- audio meters.
At launch, Final Cut Camera required an iPhone XS or later running iOS 17.4 or later, or a compatible iPad running iPadOS 17.4 or later. Those requirements applied to the June 2024 release and should not be confused with the requirements for later versions of Apple’s software. The release notice from Apple confirms the original compatibility information.
How Final Cut Camera developed after launch
The app did not remain at its initial feature set. In November 2024, Apple released Final Cut Camera 1.1. According to Apple’s Final Cut Pro 11 announcement, that update added 4K at 120 frames per second on iPhone 16 Pro, in-camera LUT preview, and Log-encoded HEVC capture.
Apple’s June 30, 2026 Creator Studio update described further additions, including Clean HDMI Out, expanded ProRes support including ProRes LT, and a setting to disable digital zoom so captured frames remain at full optical resolution. These changes make the app more useful for controlled shoots, external monitoring, and editing pipelines—but they do not turn Final Cut Camera into a full video editor, and Final Cut Pro does not run natively on every iPhone.
For creators, the practical distinction is simple:
- Final Cut Camera: capture, monitor, and control video on an iPhone or iPad.
- Final Cut Pro for iPad: edit and use Live Multicam on supported iPads.
- Final Cut Pro for Mac: edit on a Mac, with Final Cut Camera potentially serving as part of the capture workflow.
Apple’s 2024 Back to School offer is now archival
The roundup also covered Apple’s U.S. and Canadian Back to School promotion. The offer combined normal education pricing with an Apple Gift Card for eligible Mac and iPad purchases by qualifying students and select education workers. The 2024 promotion was reported as running through September 30, 2024.
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Apple’s Canadian announcement from August 19, 2024 gives a more specific example of the terms: eligible purchases could qualify for gift cards worth up to C$200, and AppleCare+ was discounted by 20 percent during the promotion. The offer was limited by country, eligibility, and product, so the Canadian maximum should not be presented as a universal U.S. value.
Important: those terms expired. They are useful for understanding the June 2024 news cycle, not for deciding whether to buy a Mac or iPad today. Apple’s promotions change each year. For comparison, Apple’s published U.S. 2026 education terms listed a different window—July 16 through August 27, 2026—and different $100 or $150 gift-card values depending on the eligible product. Always check the current Apple Education terms before treating a seasonal offer as active.
iOS 18 was a staged rollout, not a single feature drop
One of the roundup’s more useful warnings was that Apple’s WWDC announcements did not mean every iOS 18 feature would arrive in the first public release. Some capabilities were expected for iOS 18.1, iOS 18.2, or later.
The prediction was less about one particular feature than about Apple’s release strategy. Major operating-system announcements are often staged: the initial version ships first, additional capabilities follow in point releases, and availability can also depend on the device, language, region, or Apple’s service rollout.
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Because the original roundup did not provide a complete feature-by-feature schedule, it would be misleading to reconstruct one from the headline alone. The accurate historical takeaway is that readers needed to distinguish between announced at WWDC, included in the first iOS 18 release, and added in a later iOS 18 update. For a current device, the relevant version’s release notes—not a June 2024 preview article—should determine what is actually available.
Beats Solo Buds: the $79.99 earbuds story
Beats Solo Buds were the roundup’s clearest straightforward retail product. Beats and Apple listed them at $79.99, with up to 18 hours of listening time. They support both iOS and Android and come with a compact USB-C case.
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The important limitation is that the case does not contain a built-in battery. It is a compact charging and carrying case rather than the larger power-bank-style cases common with many true wireless earbuds. Solo Buds also do not include active noise cancellation.
Beats lists five-minute Fast Fuel charging for up to one hour of playback, which is useful when the earbuds are nearly empty. The product remains listed by Beats, although current price, regional availability, and retailer stock should be checked at the time of purchase.
Affiliate disclosure: If a retailer link is added to this product mention and you buy through it, WatchRanker may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The relevant product is Beats Solo Buds—not a generic recommendation that every reader should choose these earbuds.
Who should consider them?
- Good fit: listeners who want inexpensive Beats earbuds, cross-platform compatibility, long rated battery life, and a small case.
- Less suitable: commuters and travelers who specifically need active noise cancellation or a case that can recharge the earbuds away from a power source.
- Check before buying: whether the retailer’s current price is still $79.99 and whether the listed model is available in your country.
iOS 17.6 beta: a minor update during the iOS 18 handoff
The final item was the first developer beta cycle for iOS 17.6 and related Apple-platform updates. The June 22 roundup mentioned developer betas for iOS 17.6, macOS 14.6, tvOS 17.6, visionOS 1.3, and related systems.
At the time, MacRumors characterized iOS 17.6 as containing relatively minor discoveries while Apple’s development focus had moved to iOS 18. This was a normal transition point: Apple was continuing maintenance work on the current operating systems while preparing the next major annual releases.
That beta is now historical. It matters as a snapshot of Apple’s software cycle, but it should not be used as a current update recommendation or as evidence about the features in modern iOS versions.
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The accurate verdict on the June 2024 roundup
| Claim or implication | Verdict |
|---|---|
| A major tenth-anniversary Apple Watch redesign was possible | Directionally right. Series 10 was thinner and had a larger display. |
| The product would be called Apple Watch X | Wrong or, more precisely, unconfirmed. Apple launched Series 10 instead. |
| The watch would use 45mm and 49mm sizes | Not borne out. Final Series 10 sizes were 42mm and 46mm. |
| Final Cut Camera was a new iPhone/iPad capture tool | Right. It launched as a free standalone app and Final Cut Pro companion. |
| Not every iOS 18 feature would ship immediately | Right as a release-timing warning. Apple’s rollout was distributed across later releases. |
| Apple’s Back to School deal was available | Right at publication, expired later. The terms were specific to 2024 and the market. |
| Beats Solo Buds launched at $79.99 | Right. The product and headline specifications remain identifiable, subject to current pricing. |
| iOS 17.6 beta was a major new platform story | Overstated if read that way. It was mainly a minor, transitional beta cycle. |
The most durable stories were the product launches and the software workflow: Series 10 demonstrated that the redesign direction was credible, while Final Cut Camera became an ongoing part of Apple’s mobile video ecosystem. The Apple Watch X label, the 2024 promotion, and the iOS 17.6 beta belong in the archive unless they are being used to explain how Apple announcements develop over time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Apple ever launch an Apple Watch X?
No. Apple announced Apple Watch Series 10 on September 9, 2024. The watch was thinner and had a larger display, but Apple did not use the “Apple Watch X” name.
What is Final Cut Camera?
Final Cut Camera is Apple’s free video-capture app for iPhone and iPad. It can work as a standalone camera app and can provide wireless camera feeds for Final Cut Pro for iPad’s Live Multicam feature. It is not Final Cut Pro for iPhone.
How much did Beats Solo Buds cost?
Beats and Apple listed Beats Solo Buds at $79.99, with up to 18 hours of listening time. Prices and availability can change by retailer and country, so check the current listing before buying.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Is the 2024 Apple Back to School deal still available?
No. The 2024 U.S. and Canadian Back to School promotion was a limited-time offer and expired on September 30, 2024. Later Apple education promotions used different dates and gift-card values.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Apple Watch X never launched under that name, but the 2024 rumor correctly pointed toward a thinner, larger-display Apple Watch Series 10. Final Cut Camera was a real and useful free capture app that continued to gain pro features. The Back to School and iOS 17.6 items are historical, while Beats Solo Buds remain the roundup’s most direct current retail reference—provided their price and availability are checked before purchase.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
