Apple Watch 2 Not Likely to See March Debut [Updated]

[Marshall73]

Hoping that Apple not release a new and improved version of anything seems irrational to me, so I have to question your motives. Here's what I think: you know in your heart of hearts that the Gen-1 watch you bought doesn't justify its cost, and seeing a better version come out further erodes the rationalizations you made when you bought yours.

I think you should take comfort in knowing that Version 2 is not going to cause Version 1 to suddenly become pointless (it already was), and that you got to enjoy playing with Version 1 while the rest of us waited for the one we could justify buying. We all need to get comfortable with the fact that these things are not heirlooms, despite the marketing hype, and that they will see regular, frequent updates. Buy the one that works for you, and move on.

I would buy a gen 2 watch on day one and pass mine onto a family member as I do with every other piece of Apple kit, which I also buy every year, iPhone, iPads, macs etc. My thoughts were they are doing things different with the watch, they have hidden its earnings, they are not reporting sales etc maybe the refresh cycles will be different, maybe the new models will be significantly different, different shape/straps/accessories etc and the first model will sell alongside it as the budget option, who knows. But at the end of the day, I don't care, I will buy it as I always do, being an Apple junkie

 

[Serban]

so macbook, 4" iphone and maybe ipad air 3? so a 1 and a half hour event

 

[cdm283813]

Im thinking the watches will have a 2 year cycle.

I agree with a 2 year life cycle. If Apple would have said that from the beginning I would have picked one up while it was on sale during the holidays. But today I'm in a holding pattern.

 

[bushido]

I edited my post and deleted it.

(edit, lol) but, still wondering what's up with apple releasing 9.3 and 9.4 betas...two things in the works, but what?

theres no 9.4 beta

 

[ka-spot]

Just add GPS, camera with fullframe 24MP sensor with very good ISO performance and optics with range of 20-300mm f2.8 and add a (folding) drone like DJI Inspire. Of corse price drop with a $100 bucks is also OK Np, I'll wait until September

 

[Spendlove]

I love my Apple Watch 42mm Space Grey Sport and eagerly await the Apple Watch 2 so any delay makes this Spendlove shed a tear.

What would I add and improve if it was technologically possible?

GPS
Much, much, much faster opening apps. The spinning wheel of death HAS GOT TO GO.
Can be independent from the iPhone for short durations.
A tiny twisting camera so you could point and shoot and quick glance FaceTime (it would automatically face upwards when FaceTime activated).
Up to three days battery life (Friday AM to Sunday evening for weekends away).
Keep the strap fittings so straps do not become instantly obsolete
3rd party watch faces that are not hilariously rip off prices (curated)
More Apple watch faces
More complications that are shortcuts to apps e.g. Apple Music.
A better layout of apps - at the moment it is messy - you can spend a while fiddling to find the app you want.
Use the digital crown to scroll through customised watch faces, swiping takes forever!
A louder speaker and more receptive microphone.
Nice quality Apple bluetooth head pods (Air Pods) to go with it

 

[threesixty360]

I think they are crazy with a product like this to make a big deal out of a new version.
This isnt a phone. This is functional jewellery. You dont want to make it obsolete in the minds of buyers.
Updating the OS is the best way to go. New straps. Special editons etc...

But major updates of the hardware, nah.

If anything, make it a little thinner, update the processor a little but keep the same form factor. Much like they do with macbooks. The form factor of the air has hardly changed but they've just upgraded it internally. Thats how to keep the Apple watch valuable and desirable. This is not a 2 year contract phone thing where everyone MUST see a visual difference in the hardware to bother buying the new one.

 

[haruhiko]

Apple Watch, in its current condition/design, is not worth for me to purchase another one in such a short time. The software development of the Watch has been very disappointing.

 

[CmdrLaForge]

I would like to see a thicker watch with display always on. If huawai can do that so should Apple.

 

[OllyW]

...but keep the same form factor

It's the form factor that puts me off the current Apple Watch.

 

[MH01]

not sure people will buy into updating the iPhone and watch each year. Too much money.

 

[plattform]

It's like everyone forgot when iPads were on the spring refresh cycle then Apple very deliberately moved them to Fall. Not only is it better for the products to be launched after WWDCas others have mentioned, but Apple wants their products launched leading into the 4th quarter so that they get the most out of the holiday bump as possible. I was surprised that they launched in April, and I assumed they would move it to a fall cycle when possible.

You want your product to hit the market when it's going to have the biggest sales impact. The watch is easily the most giftable product in apple's portfolio not only due to size but price. It just makes sense.

 

[GadgetBen]

'...there's been no "major action" on the software development side that would point towards the possibility of a newly redesigned Apple Watch debuting in the next few months.'

I don't think Apple will be performing any 'major action' on the software side. Apple will just want to stabilise and perfect what they have been working on for the last few years with Watch OS 2.x.

This doesn't mean that they haven't planned a hardware spec upgrade for Apple Watch.

 

[zhenya]

It's like everyone forgot when iPads were on the spring refresh cycle then Apple very deliberately moved them to Fall. Not only is it better for the products to be launched after WWDCas others have mentioned, but Apple wants their products launched leading into the 4th quarter so that they get the most out of the holiday bump as possible. I was surprised that they launched in April, and I assumed they would move it to a fall cycle when possible.

You want your product to hit the market when it's going to have the biggest sales impact. The watch is easily the most giftable product in apple's portfolio not only due to size but price. It just makes sense.

The only issue I see with that strategy is that bunching iphone/ipad/watch releases into the same window will mean that many, perhaps most, consumers, will choose just one to purchase. Spreading the releases out through the year gives people some breathing room to become willing to make multiple purchases. It's a difficult balance to strike though. I could see the schedule shifting further towards Macs in the spring, iOS/devices in the fall.

 

[Cobalt50]

Take your "time" Apple. I can wait. I just poured money into my primary rig to make it Oculus Rift ready.

I'm going off the top of my head but I think Oculus Rift delayed their Mac software development for the time being. Hope not for your sake. Also seems dumb because Apple owners would seem to be the perfect sales demographic. On the other hand, more Windows users for sure.

 

[dannys1]

The Apple watch is a pretty lethargic piece of technology. It's bulky, doesn't have a 24x7 display, and it's got a day charge long if you're lucky. In summary it's got three fundamental problems before it becomes anything more than a toy.

Its definitely not bulky, in fact its smaller than any mechanical watch id worn previously and the battery EASILY lasts more than a day, you're obviously talking utter nonsense rather than any anecdotal evidence.

The problem is the battery is actually too good with not enough to make use of it. I really wish they'd open up the bluetooth stack to do iBeacon tracking, my phone, which barely lasts the day is doing it, where as the watch has 65% left after a day, plenty of battery cycles to take over iBeacon tracking in a smarthome.

Having 65% left is useless, its the same reason there's no point in having a better iPhone battery unless its going to be like 4x better and last three days on one charge. At 65% its enough to wear whilst you sleep and get you till about dinner time the next day - but thats no good, you have to charge it in the middle of the day. So you charge it at night with your phone, which means that 65% of battery is a total waste, it might as well be on 5% at the end of the day when you have to charge it anyway.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

When Jobs ran Apple it was very clever to string out product releases throughout the year. This made it more financially "digestible" for me to, for example, buy a new my MBP in the spring, new MP in the fall, toss in an iPod (and later iPhone) biennially, and when the iPad came out made that an annual buy. Many thousands of $s but spread out over the year.

Tim Cook came in and thought best to push nearly all major product launches to the fall for the holiday season. At first blush that's reasonable. Buyers at the busiest part of the season want fresh product. An iPad that came out last March is kinda stale. But that maneouver didn't save the iPad. It's sales have been flat for several quarters. And for me, I was "forced" to choose which Apple product I'd buy in the fall. I'm OK spending $6K on Apple stuff throughout the year, but I can't get my head around doing it all in one fell swoop. I also feel if I don't buy w/i a couple months of launch I'm buying stale.

Enter the AW last year. It was the first all-new product Cook launched, and also first he launched in the spring, not fall. Did he realize consumers can't buy every new Apple product in one season? Or was this a one-off because the market demanded an AW sooner rather than later and Fall '15 would have been too late to market? Or did he not want to subjugate AW to the intense scrutiny of a holiday season?

I alway believed, and especially after using my own, that the AW would be an annual release for awhile because there was much to improve. Two years was too long. Competition would easily leapfrog and crush it if Apple lets that amount of time go by. They don't have the lead here like they had with the iPod or iPhone. Even those had annual updates.

This article, notwithstanding, I do believe AW will be updated this year, and I think it has to be sooner rather than later if the true smartwatch category going to remain a growth segment. By now all the early adopters are "on board." It's time for an improved version and the later in the year it's release the more likely consumers are going to be putting their money towards other items. The AW is a true luxury, not a priority purchase. Spring is the perfect launch time b/c the holiday bills have been paid and people are looking for something new. If Apple has any sense they'll make the spring AW revision a permanent "thing."

 

[dannys1]

The only issue I see with that strategy is that bunching iphone/ipad/watch releases into the same window will mean that many, perhaps most, consumers, will choose just one to purchase. Spreading the releases out through the year gives people some breathing room to become willing to make multiple purchases. It's a difficult balance to strike though. I could see the schedule shifting further towards Macs in the spring, iOS/devices in the fall.

It also means the supply chain would be destroyed, they can't make every device at once. Also most Apple devices are too expensive to gift as presents, and, as a Mac seller, I can testify there is no upturn of sales in December - it makes little difference what time of the year Apple releases for sales - the iPhone launches in fall with a huge amount of sales at launch, not 3-4 months later in December.

 

[GadgetBen]

"As Panzarino says, an update alongside the iPhone 7 in September is a possibility, putting the Apple Watch on an 18-month upgrade cycle."

What nonsense! If anything Apple will want to get a hold of the market this year - sales haven't exactly blown a storm with the first Apple Watch.

The Apple Watch is lacking some key features to make it worthy of an 18-month upgrade cycle. To get us on an 18-month cycle, give us the basics:

1. WIFI chip
2. GPS
3. Better water resistance (or at least Apple warranty backing saying we can use it to a certain depth like most swiss watches)
4. Better battery life (Even 2 days would be good)
5. Independence from iPhone.

Then I'll happily wait 18 months for the next big improvements. Don't need a camera on my watch.

 

[dannys1]

The AW is a true luxury, not a priority purchase.

Actually the iPad is the true luxury purchase for me now. It's the most pointless Apple item I own, there is nothing I can't do on other Apple devices I own and thus it very rarely gets used. However if I forget to put the Apple Watch on for even an hour I miss it greatly and there are numerous features that no other Apple device can do for me.

 

[tfigs]

I think a one year or even 18 month refresh cycle is too soon for a watch. 2 years MINIMUM...and even that is kinda short in my humble opinion.

agreed

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Actually the iPad is the true luxury purchase for me now. It's the most pointless Apple item I own, there is nothing I can't do on other Apple devices I own and thus it very rarely gets used. However if I forget to put the Apple Watch on for even an hour I miss it greatly and there are numerous features that no other Apple device can do for me.

Right, but many people do use an iPad instead of a laptop, especially in enterprise. In fact enterprise is the one area with iPad growth. OTOH no one needs an AW anymore than they need any watch. Apple could discontinue the iPad today and it would create a lot of workflow disruption for people until they found an alternate solution. OTOH if Apple canceled the AW today people would just default to the watch or bare wrist they had before AW.

 

[Abazigal]

I really saddens me that Apple thinks someone would buy a new watch every year. They've updated the Thunderbolt display with variants without calling it Thunderbolt display 2, 3, 4, etc. Why can't they do the same for the Apple Watch.

I own a 2012 MBA. By your logic, is Apple supposed to wait until I am ready to upgrade before releasing a new version?

Any Apple Watch 2nd gen would be geared towards potential users who did not get the first Apple Watch. Tech is constantly improving, and it would be folly to delay updating your offerings just to keep the early adopters happy.

 

[Mr. Donahue]

As an early adopter, I hope this is true

As a late adopter I was hoping this wasn't true. But I guess I can wait longer. Or not. I might just get one soon then. Why not.

 

[scaramoosh]

Tbh I don't think sales justify a yearly release, I cannot see more than 50% of people switching from the Watch 1 to the 2 and I cannot see there being a major demand swing for the Watch. I reckon it'll be something they'll upgrade every 2/3 years, especially after the Watch 2 where there really wont be much to refine. However if they were to make a Watch 2 now... what do they improve? Tech hasn't evolved much at all since last year, the only thing they could do is make it look different.