Apple Watch 2 release date: Two smartwatches coming in six months with GPS and Barometer

According to reports, Apple is working on two brand new smartwatches to be released soon. One of them is an incremental upgrade of the current Apple Watch and is planned to launch later this year. The other is a massively revamped smart wear with lots of additional features and is expected to launch within the first quarter of 2017.

The information comes from renowned KGI analyst Ming Chi Kuo who has an extensive connection with Apple’s suppliers. Kuo has described in his investor’s notes about the company’s plans for wearables for the next six months. He suggests that Apple is working on not one, but two upcoming smartwatches.

Apple Watch 2 Variants and Specs

The first one will be a general upgrade to the current Apple Watch with upgraded internals but identical cosmetics. The second one will be receiving many more improvements and added capabilities. The latter is most probably the one to be called as the Apple Watch 2.

Both the variants are expected to be powered by a new generation SoC designed by Apple. The processor will presumably be manufactured by the Taiwanese manufacturer TSMC. The chip will possibly be built using the 16nm process and feature significant performance improvements. The second smartwatch may sport a slightly upgraded processor than the first.

The first one will preserve the same appearance and feel of the present smartwatch from Apple, even though there will be a lot of changes in the internals. The display unit of the upcoming smartwatch will be much thinner giving Apple an opportunity to reduce the thickness of the device. Instead, the company is expected to make use of the opportunity to slide in a more powerful battery. This will facilitate better battery life without affecting the overall aesthetics of the product.

Apple Watch 2 Features and Release Date

The more powerful variant will rope in a GPS module and a barometric sensor. This model is presumed to be juiced up by an even more powerful battery to fuel the additional components. By doing this, Apple wishes to bring consistency of battery life along its range of smart wearables. The forthcoming smartwatches will also boast enhanced waterproofing.

Both the smartwatches are expected to launch by the end of this year with the second one having a possibility of being pushed to a 2017 launch. Ming Chi Kuo believes that the Cupertino giant will not launch a smartwatch with inbuilt LTE capability anytime this year. The standalone 4G LTE supported smartwatch is expected to come only in the next year with a brand new avatar.

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Nitin Agarwal

Nitin started PC-Tablet because of his keen interest in space research, technology, and gadgets. He is an avid reader, technology enthusiast, and like to explore new places. His passion for knowledge keeps him running all the time.