It’s been a bit over a year since Apple unveiled the Apple Watch and the internet is clamoring for an Apple Watch 2 or, at least, an Apple Watch S. The Apple Watch was really the first piece of original hardware that consumers have seen from Apple since the death of Steve Jobs and it didn’t quite live up to expectations outside of the loyal fanboy community that Apple will, seemingly, always have.
Apple Watch 2 could change the game
With over 12 million Apple Watches shipping since it was available for purchase, Apple is the leader in the smartwatch sector but that hardly makes it the perfect offering, and again, there exists a large group of people whom will purchase anything new from Apple without fail.
The biggest complaint across the board with the Apple Watch is it’s absolute reliance on an iPhone to do the heavy lifting. Additionally, many have complained that the small size of the Apple Watch’s face makes it reasonably limited in what you can do with the touchscreen that is built into the display like all other mobile products from Apple.
12 million units is nothing to shake a stick at, but there are surely millions that wouldn’t even consider purchasing one with a new offering firmly loaded in Apple’s product breech if rumors and past practices are any indication what the company is up to with its smartwatch.
It’s likely that the Apple Watch 2 or some update will happen about the same time as the iPhone 7 or perhaps even sooner.
Rumors and more rumors from varied sources
It nearly goes without saying that these are no more than rumors and I know no more than you do. That said it’s likely that I spend a bit more time reading Apple Watch rumors than you do so I will do my best to summarize that, often agonizing, reading and process.
Apple analyst Brian White, of Drexel Hamilton is calling for the Apple Watch to be “20 per cent to 40 per cent thinner.” I think forty is a bit of a stretch especially if a FaceTime camera is to be included as rumored and analyst Ming Chi-Kuo (who is often spot on with his calls well ahead of Apple product releases) seems to agree.
Ming Chi-Kuo is also telling you that the wait for the Apple Watch 2 might be longer than you think while suggesting that Apple has a Apple Watch S, literally, up its sleeve prior to the Apple Watch 2.
9 to 5 Mac called for a FaceTime camera over a year ago and the momentum of this rumor has only built to the point that Apple had better include one or the next offering is already doomed.
Perhaps what people want most from an Apple Watch 2 is internet connectivity independent of the iPhone which presently doesn’t exist. Pocket Lint has repeatedly said that the next watch from Apple will have a faster Wi-Fi chip set at the very least even if it is still dependent on the wireless signal from an iPhone.
Patently Apple seems to believe that they have found patents sufficient that the camera is a done deal and will the the “ultimate selfie” taker with users simply needing to put their arm in front of their face. Essentially, your arm will become a selfie stick.
At least we know it will run new software
At the recent Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) Apple made it clear that there will be a new operating system for existing watches and, presumably, future offerings in Apple’s smartwatch line.
Apple claimed that WatchOS 3 for the Apple Watch will speed things up by a factor of seven. That’s a massive claim, but certainly welcome for existing and potential users.
The company also promised new fitness tracking apps as well as an emergency feature that allows to hold one of the side buttons and the user’s iPhone will immediately dial 911.
Developers are still coming over it, but expect to see it yourself in September(?).
Apple’s plans for the first-generation Apple Watch are rumored to have been scrapped in a number of areas owing to the limited battery of the Apple Watch. As a result, nearly all are calling for a battery that offers both better performance and a longer life.
I’m going to skip over bands and possible sport editions, but they certainly remain a possibility. What I really want to see is a waterproof Apple Watch. Bernard Desarnauts, the chief executive of Apple Watch research group Wristly, says the Apple Watch needs to work on its waterproofing or as AppleInsider said the Apple Watch is “good for washing hands, but not swimming”.
There are more and we’ll get there in the future, but here are your consensus rumors at present.
