One day after Apple began allowing customers to reserve an Apple Watch and pick it up in-store, making it the first time that you could actually get an Apple Watch from an Apple Store, details on the next-generation Apple Watch have leaked.
Sources speaking to 9to5Mac say that Apple is currently eyeing a couple of new hardware features for the Apple Watch 2. The first is a video camera for FaceTime calls, which might be placed in the top bezel of the Apple Watch’s face.
The second big feature that’s rumored is the goal of making the Apple Watch 2 less dependent on a connected iPhone. Apple reportedly wants to include a better Wi-Fi chip in the Apple Watch 2 that’ll let wearers handle “basic communication” without the help of an iPhone. The current Apple Watch can only do things like track activity, play music, and make payments without an iPhone, requiring a paired handset for sending messages.
When it comes to battery life, Apple has found that most Apple Watch owners are content with charging their devices every night, and so Apple plans on keeping the battery life of the Apple Watch 2 on par with the original model.
Finally, it’s said that Apple is considering offering additional models in-between the current $1000 Apple Watch and $10,000 Apple Watch Edition variants. What’s not clear is whether this would be more expensive steel models, cheaper gold models, or units made of entirely new materials.
So far it sounds like the Apple Watch 2 could be a nice improvement over the original model. Holding your arm up to conduct a video call might get tiring, but it could be good for quick chats. The better Wi-Fi chip sounds like the best addition, allowing users to communicate with others when they’re not connected to their iPhone.
It’s worth noting that Apple frequently tests and considers features for its new devices, and so we’ll have to wait for Apple to actually introduce the Apple Watch 2 to find out what new features it’ll include. According to today’s report, Apple is targeting a 2016 release for its next smartwatch.
What features do you hope to see included with the Apple Watch 2?
