Quanta May Begin Trial Production of Apple Watch 2 This Month

[MacRumors]

A new report out of China today points to an earlier than expected trial production of the unannounced "Apple Watch 2," expected to begin as soon as the end of January. According to Taiwanese website Commercial Times (via G for Games), the second generation of the Apple Watch will be manufactured by Quanta, which was also responsible for last year's production of the original smartwatch.

Despite today's report of Quanta's eagerness to begin production on the Apple Watch 2, a rumor back in November suggested the company had a "weaker than expected" profit return on the original Apple Watch. As such, Apple may be searching for new suppliers of the device (in addition to keeping on Quanta to take the brunt majority of the line), including Foxconn, Wistron, and Inventec.

Although it has yet to be confirmed by Apple, rumors regarding the new Apple Watch include a thinner case, FaceTime camera, and an upgraded Wi-Fi chip for more independence from the iPhone. This week it was discovered that Apple has posted four job listings centered around health technologies, suggesting possible improvements on the first generation Apple Watch's health and fitness features.

Article Link: Quanta May Begin Trial Production of Apple Watch 2 This Month

 

[gsmornot]

I'm ready to see what the changes are going to be. Now that we can pair multiple watches I'm sure to keep my current watch and just add to the collection. (If the changes are enough)

I don't even need thinner. I need GPS and a faster processor.

 

[JHankwitz]

If they're posting job listings now, it will be years before anything they come up with gets implemented into a production Apple Watch.

 

[Oblivious.Robot]

Any chance that they'll make a round watch?

 

[Amazing Iceman]

I want one if the battery lasts 48 hours of regular use.

 

[dabirdwell]

If they're posting job listings now, it will be years before anything they come up with gets implemented into a production Apple Watch.

Then it also means we haven't yet seen the ideas of Apple's hires over the past couple of years.

 

[JaySoul]

Really thought that it would be closer to a 2 year upgrade cycle for the Apple Watch. Hmmm.

 

[0098386]

I'm not sure what I want in an Apple Watch 2 at this stage, but I hope it's a huge leap forward.

 

[OllyW]

Any chance that they'll make a round watch?

I hope so, it would be nice to have a bit more variety.

 

[Popeye206]

Looking forward to seeing what Apple actually does with the Apple Watch 2.0... I'm guessing battery will be a focus.

 

[gsmornot]

I want one if the battery lasts 48 hours of regular use.

Having used mine since launch I'm not sure this would be a big deal for me unless I were not able to get though a full day for some reason. A 48 hour battery, charging every other day, would be harder to track than just putting on the charger each night like I do now. I can see the benefit in more time from the battery but I would use the internal space for other features.

 

[eddieaus]

can't imagine using FaceTime via WiFi on the watch, the battery would die in 15 mins.

 

[Pakaku]

can't imagine using FaceTime via WiFi on the watch, the battery would die in 15 mins.

Not to mention the ergonomics of talking at a camera on your wrist would be complete shaky crap.

 

[Sandstorm]

Really thought that it would be closer to a 2 year upgrade cycle for the Apple Watch. Hmmm.

Maybe it will be the same as with iPhones - new body style every 2 years, s-style update in between?

Personally I decided to skip 1st gen and I'm very interested in Watch 2.
My wishlist: much faster, better waterproofing (swimming officially allowed) and longer operation (ideally - weekend without recharging). Reliable blood pressure would also be great.

 

[Bray-dog]

Having used mine since launch I'm not sure this would be a big deal for me unless I were not able to get though a full day for some reason. A 48 hour battery, charging every other day, would be harder to track than just putting on the charger each night like I do now. I can see the benefit in more time from the battery but I would use the internal space for other features.

Agree on the battery life...I only use mine for notifications, anything else I pull out the phone. Rarely do I drop below 20% at the end of a day.

 

[Bubba Satori]

Any chance that they'll make a round watch?

Having two different shaped watches would be too confusing to buyers.

 

[ForkHandles]

People like me want a watch that is great for monitoring activity. The Apple watch is ok but without a GPS it will never be good for sporty types. I think the smart watch space is going to be heavily influenced by the solutions competitors bring to the table.

For example: I recently bought a Forerunner 235, about 60% the cost of an Apple Watch. It has an:

activity tracker, tick,
GPS, tick,
all notifications (email, text, calendar, phone, photo stream etc), tick,
heart rate monitor, tick,
Apps, tick.
7 day battery life! SEVEN yes Seven

I think Apple has done well with their watch despite it being one of the first devices that was marketed as a fashion accessory rather than a technology solution.

If they can find their way back to their home turf, technology, I am confident that they could develop a version of the watch that meets my selfish, sporty needs. In the meantime, thanks Garmin.

 

[jonnysods]

Really thought that it would be closer to a 2 year upgrade cycle for the Apple Watch. Hmmm.

I was wondering about this too. Once a year seems too frequent.

 

[Keirasplace]

Really thought that it would be closer to a 2 year upgrade cycle for the Apple Watch. Hmmm.

Eventually, yes, but not in the first few years as features mount and they gain experience.
Also, they don't want to leave one chance for Android wear to succeed.
To do that, they have to press their advantage to the max.
Make Android wear watch seems always second, or even third best.

By year 4-5, they may go to 2 year cycles.

 

[croooow]

Having two different shaped watches would be too confusing to buyers.

I think the general public would be able to deal with two shapes.

Other watch companies seem to be okay with it:

 

[StevieD100]

Any chance that they'll make a round watch?

A round 'half-hunter' then I'd buy one.

 

[OllyW]

Having two different shaped watches would be too confusing to buyers.

I think most people would be able to tell the difference.

 

[crsh1976]

My care factor is pretty close to absolute zero, hopefully this brings far more utility and features than the original one.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

I love my SS and for a first gen product I think they did a good job. I said the whole way along that it would be an annual refresh. There is massive room for improvement. I would like to see increased independence from the iPhone, faster loading for apps, different tones for messages, emails etc, larger square and round faces and more customisable watch faces.

 

[atlatnesiti]

Hopefully it will be more of the smart watch than yet another Fitbit device
Sick of all this health related crap packed into every so called smart watch these days...
Don't give a f.... about my steps {can view that in health app without the aid of watch) or heart rate, but gps and direct calls will convert me into buying one (again) straight away