It’s boxing day now and it’s time for us to look forward to everything due to arrive in 2016. One of the biggest news stories in the world of watches during 2015 was the arrival of the long awaited Apple Watch. As a (belated) Christmas present to all of you from First Class Watches, here is an early look at something exciting which should hit shelves in 2016!
Despite suggestions that the Apple Watch was a relative disappointment in terms of sales figures, new Apple Watch 2 rumours suggest that the watch will hit the shelves in 2016. But what will the Apple Watch 2 bring to the table? And when in 2016 will it arrive? Here’s our run down of the top Apple Watch 2 rumours to get you all excited for the big release of what is certain to be one of the most exciting watch releases of 2016!
The Big Release!
The original Apple Watch was announced in September 2014 and arrived in April 2015. As no announcement of a successor was made during the Apple iPhone 6S announcement in September all eyes are on Apple’s next big event. This is currently rumoured to be in March 2016 and is expected to focus on a few different Apple products. An iPad Air 3, the iPhone 6c and the Apple Watch 2 are expected to be announced at this event.
Apple Watch 2 rumours appeared after an accidental disclosure by one of Apple’s big suppliers of a Q2 release of a new Apple Watch. Although other sources suggest that mass production of a new Apple Watch device will not begin until Q3. This points toward a Spring/Summer release for the Apple Watch 2, which may put it into competition with the Android Wear device from Casio due to hit shelves in March 2016.
What Will It Look Like?
All of the Apple Watch 2 rumours suggest that the design of the watch will not change much from the first edition. Many smartwatch fanatics can breathe a sigh of relief as the design was one of the most popular elements of the watch. The Apple Watch was one of the first beautifully designed wearable devices and people will be pleased to see the Apple Watch 2 appear in an incredibly similar form.
Say Cheese!
Many are expecting to see a camera added to the Apple Watch 2, which has been available on Samsung Gear for a number of years. The camera is expected to be a front facing camera and will appear on the top bezel of the device. Not only will this camera allow people to take selfies to send to friends (Snapchat Apple Watch edition anyone?) But potentially this will allow people to use Facetime, which would be a very exciting move for Apple to take and potentially be a game changer in the smartwatch world.
A More Independent Watch
One big disappointment for some Apple Watch buyers was the way the watch felt more like a tethered device than an independent wearable watch. Too many of the features required the watch to be connected to an iPhone. This, especially for people who had seen devices like the Samsung Gear S – which worked independently with a sim card, was a bit of a let down. Certain sources have suggested that wireless capability will be included in the Apple Watch 2. This would allow for more features, like iMessage, to work independently of a connected iPhone.
Get Tracking
Apple CEO Tim Cook recently made an announcement during an interview which gave the impression that the Apple Watch 2 could include some very interesting new fitness tracking features. This would be something which is more “medically focused” and would require US Food and Drug Administration approval. It’s not yet known what this would be, but for it to work the watch would require extra sensors to track fitness. Which means that Apple would either need to build extra sensors into the watch and the new features would be developed in an app or an extra device would be sold alongside the watch for these features. Time will tell which of these routes Apple decide to take, but this would make the Apple Watch 2 one of the most exciting fitness wearables on the market if it comes to fruition.
Conclusion
While there is nothing groundbreaking in these Apple Watch 2 rumours (many of these features do already exist elsewhere) – when you add these features to the already feature-packed Apple Watch, it makes for something incredibly exciting. One important thing which hasn’t been spoken about by any sources is a much needed improvement to the battery life (one of the biggest complaints from Apple Watch users). As Apple are very far behind competitors when it comes to battery life (the Pebble lasts a week, the Apple Watch doesn’t last 24 hours!) you would expect Apple to look to rectify this ASAP.
We shouldn’t have too long to wait to see whether or not the Apple Watch 2rumours are true and we’ll keep you updated with all of the latest news during 2016!
Images: raneko, Ben Miller
