As the anniversary of the Apple Watch 2 draws near more and more rumors circulate the web about the next generation gadget!
We had a chance to see a preview of the WatchOS 4 at the Worldwide Developers Conference in June when Apple presented its next-gen operating system for wearable devices. While they were at it, Apple unknowingly ‘leaked’ some interesting cues about the future of the Apple Watch and what’s in it for us.
Of course, the main talking point at every conference regarding Cupertino based tech giant revolves around the iPhone 8. To be more precise people are more interested in the exact date of the launch. Considering past experiences with Apple, we usually expect the new phone somewhere around September, most likely early September.
It is certain that the release of the new flagship smartphone impacts the release of the new Apple Watch and if you ask us, we believe that the launch is near.
Let’s see what we know so far about the Apple Watch 3:
Apple Watch 3 probable specs:
-WatchOS 4 (CONFIRMED)
-FaceTime camera
-Standalone LTE connectivity via SIM card
-Micro-LED display
-Glass-film touch technology
-Slender design
-Water resistance
-Glucose monitoring
-Sleep tracking
-Integrated power meter
-Respiration sensors
-Smart bands
-Better wireless charging (inductive charging)
-The price: somewhere near $349, £349 or AU$499
Apple Watch 3 Release Date
Unfortunately, the Apple Watch hasn’t been produced as many times as the iPhone, so we can’t really establish a time pattern of when it should be launched. The first Apple Watch was released in April 2015 and the second generation (included the Apple Watch Series 1 and Apple Watch Series 2) had its debut in September 2016.
Even though we believe that the Apple Watch 3 might debut this fall, it is still all just a speculation. On top of that, the new version may not feature some groundbreaking improvements and changes. The product could come in numerous forms all the way from a major redesign to a minor upgrade. And there are many other manufacturers who will produce wearables in the second half of 2017, so the only reasonable thing for them to do here is to release their own upgraded product. At least that’s what we think.
We have already mentioned that the release of the new iPhone will impact the release date of the Apple Watch 3. It should happen during the first or second week of September as that is the time when Apple unveils their new flagship device. However this year there have been warnings coming from supply chain sources that claim the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus should be pretty similar to the current generation since they are facing serious production challenges. According to the latest Fast Company report, there is ‘a sense of panic’ at Apple HQ considering missing the September deadline. When asked for a comment, the company didn’t respond to the request.
We are not so sure whether there really is ‘a sense of panic’ at Apple, but we know for sure that the iPhone accounts for two-thirds of their revenues and we believe that the biggest focus of the company still lies on the iPhone. It remains to be seen if the company has the “bandwidth” to simultaneously develop a new Apple Watch and a new iPhone. However, if we compare releasing a new Watch in early 2018 to releasing it in the fourth quarter holiday buying season, we believe that the smart decision would be to do the latter.
WatchOS 4
Having paid close attention at WWDC in June, we found out quite a lot about the upcoming Apple Watch. Among the upgrades, we will be getting new Siri watch face which will provide a feed of contextual notifications, new branded watch faces (no dedicated Watch Face store), a better Music app, workout and fitness improvements and Bluetooth connectivity for health and sports gear. These were some of the highlights from the Apple’s presentation considering the upcoming Watch. All these ‘highlights’ sound awesome but we are almost certain that Apple left our those most exciting ones out of this early report.
Apple Watch as an alternative to the iPhone? Is that possible?
One of the more ‘groundbreaking’ novelties that have been rumored is a cellular modem upgrade. Imagine calling and texting from the Watch. You wouldn’t need an iPhone, right? Well, in March there was an article published by Barron’s where a semiconductor analyst spoke about this possibility. He stated that the next Apple Watch will indeed come equipped with a SIM card and support for LTE!
A device like this with a cellular connection would surely sky rocket it into a different category. However, we will remind you that there was also a similar rumor that used to go around before the launch of the Apple Watch 2. Unfortunately, the company couldn’t solve the battery drain problems in time. That’s how the story of cellular connectivity ended for the currently available device, and we believe that the Apple Watch 3 will share the same faith.
FaceTime Camera
Ever since the launch of the Apple Watch 2 everybody has been speculating about a camera being a feature of the next gen. If 9to5Mac is to be trusted tech giant ‘has considered adding a camera into the Watch’s top bezel’ which would make it the smallest device capable of running FaceTime. Besides giving the Apple Watch another advantage over its rivals, this feature would finally grant all those wishes coming from users who have been faithful since the beginning.
New health and fitness features
It is common knowledge that the next version of watchOS will introduce a platter of new features on this front, however, there are some potential hardware-based upgrades also said to be in store for us. Tim Cook has been testing a blood sugar tracker paired to his Apple Watch according to the CNBC. They also mentioned that the company has dedicated a team to develop a ‘non-invasive, continuous glucose monitor.’
According to BGR, Apple is also exploring glucose monitoring capabilities for the next gen device. They also said that the company plans to introduce interchangeable ‘smart watch bands.’ We believe that these bands could potentially support the glucose monitoring feature and some other capabilities such as ‘FaceTime’ camera or maybe a higher battery capacity.
BikeRadar released reports claiming that Apple has filed a patent for a device to use wind resistance to measure power. The aforementioned device calculates estimated power output using your speed, road gradient and wind speed plus your heart rate.
Watch face upgrade
We are in store for a few changes considering the display of the new gadget. Potentially there will be a shift from the Apple Watch 2’s OLED display to Micro LED. Micro LED display utilizes a brighter and more efficient variation of the technology. Apple is piloting Micro LED tech for wearables according to Nikkei Asian Review. This is not all as they added that it is unlikely that the new panels will find their way into a final product at least not before 2018. DigiTimes reported that the company will opt for glass-firm touch panels for the third edition of the Watch which means getting rid of the touch-on-lens panels that are featured on the Apple Watch 2.
Apple Watch 3 Price
The first Apple Watch cost $349 for the 38mm model and $399 for the 42mm edition in the US. The company slashed prices by $50 in March 2016 dropping the entry-level price to $299. Currently, its price starts at $269 (38mm) and $299 (42mm) and the Watch Series 2 at $369 (38mm) and $399 (42mm). We believe that they will stick with the current pricing scheme with the Watch 3 even if it comes with a huge redesign, the introduction of a cellular connectivity feature or an integrated camera.
