The internet is awash with rumors about the next generation wearable, but the results of a new survey suggest that U.S. consumers aren’t excited by the impending arrival of the Apple Watch 2.
The survey was carried out by Fluent, and shows that only 21% of participants believe that the Apple Watch 2 announcement is an important event. This shows just how little excitement the upcoming smartwatch is generating among the public, according to Fluent.
Survey suggests lack of excitement over Apple Watch 2
These kind of results will surely be a concern for Apple, as well as watchOS developers, both of whom were banking on the Apple Watch 2 to drive adoption of wearable technology. Just 8% of respondents said that they own an Apple Watch, while only 10% said that they “definitely will” purchase or upgrade to a new smartwatch in the next 12 months. Another 15% said that they “probably will.”
Smartwatch popularity has been limited by the small number of distinct use cases they they offer. Survey results suggest that users want to connect to the internet from their smartwatch, without being tethered to their smartphone. Around 45% of respondents said that this is the most interesting rumored feature for the Apple Watch 2.
In addition 43% of respondents said that LTE connectivity is a critical feature or a significant upgrade. Up until now rumors surrounding the Apple Watch 2 have ruled out LTE connectivity due to the demands that the feature would place on the battery, and it would be a big surprise if Apple did add the feature.
Is Apple set to introduce new features for its wearable?
For a long time it was rumored that the Apple Watch 2 would include cellular connectivity, however technical constraints appear to have ruled out the possibility. The issue of space is huge for the Apple Watch, which is already an engineering marvel for the way that it crams so many features into such a small form factor.
However it is thought that battery life was the final nail in the coffin for cellular connectivity. The feature is famously battery hungry, just look at how much longer your phone battery lasts when you enable Airplane Mode, and battery life has already proven to be an issue for the Apple Watch.
This is also a concern about another rumored feature for the upcoming smartwatch, namely a GPS chip. The addition of GPS has been subject to rumors for a long time, but it also raises questions about battery life.
Samsung Gear S3 shaping up to be a considerable rival
Another consideration is the idea that Apple has lots of tweaks that it needs to make to the Apple Watch, rather than building in any major new features. The company may choose to offer better battery life, better user experience and better performance in the second generation wearable. This would fit a pattern developed after the release of the iPad and the iPhone, where the second generation models were essentially tweaked versions of the original.
It will be interesting to see what Apple does with the Apple Watch 2, and not only in terms of attracting new users. The company also faces significant competition from the Samsung Gear S3.
Samsung has made a smartwatch that looks more like a traditional timepiece, which is sure to appeal to some consumers. The Korean tech giant has also managed to build in a big battery, which reportedly lasts for up to four days. The Gear S3 will be available in Q4 this year, when we will be able to see how it matches up with the Apple Watch 2.
