Why would Apple bother with inductive charging if the watch isn't waterproof to at least 5 ATM? While inductive charging is cool, it tends to be slower than wired charging and also requires additional internal components, which may add bulk to the device. I'd hope that with the expected battery limitations of the Apple Watch, they wouldn't have included inductive charging unless it actually brings some utility to the table - Aside from being a little easier to charge, what utility could inductive charging offer other than enabling the watch to be waterproof? So far, all I can tell is that it's slower and adds bulk to the watch.
Sure, maybe they want to eventually make future models waterproof, and don't want to change the charging mechanism down the line, but I have to be honest here - if that's the reason, as an Apple investor I'll be pretty upset about their strategic planning, and here's why: The sensors on the back of the watch are hardly cutting edge - look at what the Jawbone Up 3 has! I'd really hope that future iterations of the Apple Watch would have improved sensors like the Up 3. If they change the sensors on the Apple Watch, they'd very possibly have to change the charging mechanism as well, so why marry the watch to this particular inductive charging device just for that reason?
That's the surprise I'm hoping for when they make the next big announcement: That it's waterproof, or at least resistant to 5 ATM.
One additional thought: I wouldn't be entirely surprised if, due to the nature that the Apple Watch is loaded with intricate electronics, Apple simply doesn't want to rate it in water resistance. Maybe it will be waterproof, but Apple just doesn't want to be liable, so isn't making any claims. I'd imagine that there will be a lot of tests done by tech blogs to this effect.
