Apple Watch 3 Won't Have 'Obvious Change' to Form Factor, LTE to Be Main Selling Point

[Tom Sawyer]

It is tired in both design and capability, but nothing else out there has gotten me to buy a smartwatch as of yet either. I may just go for a FitBit Charge 2, not sexy but fills the bill on the most useful features. My wife had a gen 1 Apple Watch and in the end was not that happy with it. Loves her FB though, go figure.

 

[coolfactor]

Does anyone else find it amazing that a tiny wrist-mounted device has the power and electronics to communicate with radio towers? Mind blown.

 

[Rychiar]

The third-generation Apple Watch, expected to be introduced alongside new iPhones this fall, does not feature an obvious change to form factor, according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

In a new note shared with investors this afternoon, Kuo says LTE connectivity will be the main selling point of the new device.

The Apple Watch will keep the same two case sizes, 38mm and 42mm, and will be available in LTE and non-LTE versions, much like the iPad. Previous rumors have suggested the major carriers in the United States will offer add-on cellular service for the new LTE Apple Watch, and the plans may work similarly to iPad data plans.

Kuo believes shipments of the new Apple Watch models will reach 8 to 9 million units in the second half of 2017, with the LTE model to account for 35 to 40 percent of shipments. Overall, he forecasts 17.5 to 18 million units shipped in 2017, up 70 percent year-over-year.

According to Kuo, to drive major growth, Apple needs to introduce a radical form factor change, more FDA approvals supporting medical and health applications, and 5G commercialization.

Bloomberg first suggested the third-generation Apple Watch would include support for LTE in early August, allowing the wrist-worn device to be uncoupled from the iPhone for the first time.

Following Bloomberg's report, Daring Fireball's John Gruber said he had heard from a "little birdie" that the third-generation Apple Watch would feature an "all-new form factor," but he warned that the information might be inaccurate.

Based on Kuo's report and a lack of rumors hinting at major design changes, it appears we may not see significant design changes after all.

Article Link: Apple Watch 3 Won't Have 'Obvious Change' to Form Factor, LTE to Be Main Selling Point

I still don't know why anyone would want LTE in the watch, battery killer, extra plan. no thanks
[doublepost=1502756318][/doublepost]

Since I'm on a grandfathered old unlimited plan I wonder if anyone will offer standalone LTE service.
[doublepost=1502747789][/doublepost]
It's unlikely to be round ever. Apple doesn't want it looking like a "regular" watch. We may get more watch faces, though. For what it does it is fairly speedy. It isn't as there is a lot of room to work with. More likely they will focus on battery life since LTE will use it up more quickly.

Why would you ever stick with an AT&T grandfathered plan? I dumped mine this winter. Their new unlimited plan is $30 cheaper and allows tethering and verizon and tmobile do the same for even cheaper than that.

 

[Thunderhawks]

Sad, just waiting for a slimmer Apple Watch.

Why sad?

§1: Et es wie et es!

§2: Et kütt wie et kütt!

§5: Et bliev nix, wie et wor!

§6: Kenne mer nit, bruche mer nit, fott domet!

§7: Wat wellste maache!

§9: Wat sull dä Quatsch?

§11: Do laachs dich kapott!

Just a few Cologne "laws" which fit the aWatch.

Getting the balance right between battery life and usability (adding LTE) is way more important.
If it was possible and easy to make the watch thinner Apple would have done it already.

Let's first get all the functions optimized and then worry about how thin.

PS: Maybe by version 6 or 8, I'll buy one.
In the meantime my GF just loves her aWatch as it is.

 

[Mac 128]

I still don't know why anyone would want LTE in the watch, battery killer, extra plan. no thanks

That's what they said about GPS too, yet, miraculously it doesn't kill the battery. You can kill the battery in less than 3 hours now just by taking calls on via speakerphone. It's all in how it's used. For my part, I probably wouldn't buy a plan for it, but buy it strictly for use with the 911 emergency calling ability just in case I ever needed it. That's cheap insurance. On the other hand, depending on how expensive the plan is, it might actually come in handy to go surfing, when I otherwise wouldn't because I'm stuck waiting by the phone for one reason or another.

 

[ActionableMango]

There will never be a round Apple Watch.

I agree with you, but on the other hand a round watch makes more sense than a round desktop and they made a round desktop.

 

[dogslobber]

The iWatch will be a flop until the this triple fix occurs.

1) 1 week battery life
2) always on display
3) make it less chunky

 

[Karllake]

if this is true then presumably the AW would have an eSim, could the IPhone 8 have an eSim too? It didn't make sense to me when they removed a functional headphone jack port but left a SIM card slot. (Apologies if this has already been reported)

 

[ErikGrim]

Does Mark Gurman have people feeding him information?

If so... then what is Mark Gurman good at? He's just reporting what other people are telling him, right?

He used to when he was working for 9 to 5. His sources seems to have dried up with the move to Bloomberg. He is also spectacularly bad at extrapolating Apple's intent and what his information meant.

 

[Deliro]

wait, I thought people were saying screw slimmer, we want more battery!?!? im so confused

Will Safari at least be snappier?

People will complain no matter what. I personally feel that the thickness is fine.

 

[Lioness~]

It is tired in both design and capability, but nothing else out there has gotten me to buy a smartwatch as of yet either. I may just go for a FitBit Charge 2, not sexy but fills the bill on the most useful features. My wife had a gen 1 Apple Watch and in the end was not that happy with it. Loves her FB though, go figure.

That's a good option if not Apple Watch 3 is satisfying & feels worth it.
Have had an activity band long time but not with puls. So that is a must now.
Fitbit Charge 2 is an attractive choice with long battery time, if AW3 isn't fulfilling all our dreams of a Watch

 

[shyam09]

(2) Wireless providers let you add the watch to an existing plan for no charge.

This most certainly won't happen given that Apple Watch's capabilities. It isn't like the Watch uses a negligible amount of data each month.

 

[mazz0]

If they got rid of the stupid bezel I'd upgrade. It's just such a waste of space.

 

[jeffreyg]

Well that sounds like a major snore. As a long-time Pebble user, I've been considering my options, and thought I'd probably move to an Apple Watch, presuming the next model would have better battery life AND be slimmer. Allowing "featuritis" to keep it at it's currently porky thickness is a mistake I think. It certainly doesn't move it in a direction that interests me. I also think any form factor is going to look a bit stale after a couple of years, and it needs a rev up. An Apple Watch that looks the same as it always has, and is just as fat, just isn't compelling. This is only a rumour of course, and I for one hope it's wrong.

 

[HiRez]

That's what they said about GPS too, yet, miraculously it doesn't kill the battery. You can kill the battery in less than 3 hours now just by taking calls on via speakerphone. It's all in how it's used. For my part, I probably wouldn't buy a plan for it, but buy it strictly for use with the 911 emergency calling ability just in case I ever needed it. That's cheap insurance. On the other hand, depending on how expensive the plan is, it might actually come in handy to go surfing, when I otherwise wouldn't because I'm stuck waiting by the phone for one reason or another.

I don't know about in digital watches, but in phones GPS absolutly kills battery at a staggering rate. In a normal day with my iPhone 6 Plus under moderate use, I normally end the day with 60%-75% battery remaining, but when using Apple Maps with guidance, a freshly-charged battery will be completely dead in just a few hours, even with screen brightness turned down.

 

[swingerofbirch]

LTE would be a HUGE opportunity to create a Lifeline like device.

If you don't know what it is:

https://www.lifeline.philips.com/

If you combine motion detection with LTE, you could presumably make the Apple Watch able to detect a fall and call emergency services just like the high end Lifeline devices.

 

[Seoras]

Sad, just waiting for a slimmer Apple Watch.

Why? I had the same notion. Maybe because I'd previously owned a "painted on" thin Swatch.
Then I got a 2nd hand Apple Watch to try it and now I honestly couldn't care less about the thickness.
It's so comfortable I need to look at my wrist to see if I remembered to put it on when I got up in the morning.

 

[deany]

I think this would only be worthwhile if the iPhone sim was cloned.
My understanding is that modern sim cards are impossible to clone.
With that in mind folks will have 2 phone numbers, and 11 digit number are difficult to remember at the best of times.

The other issue, as previously mentioned is cost. Who wants a watch with an ongoing monthly fee, no thanks.

So if the sim was somehow cloned with same iPhone number and was FREE (or £1 or two extra a month) I may be interested.
There is the divert on no reply option, but that is fiddly.

All in all not very appealing. But I'm interested in what apple have up their sleeve!

 

[Seoras]

Argh, really? Would a slightly slimmer version be too much to ask for, even if they never give us a round one?

I think battery life is fine. I want a round version of Apple Watch!

I thought the round form factor made more sense too. Now that I own one I don't.
Strange isn't it how you think you know better than Ive and team until you actually try it yourself.

 

[douglasf13]

I care.
[doublepost=1502749668][/doublepost]
Again. I care. You don't, but i do. Enuff said.
[doublepost=1502749835][/doublepost]
Sapphire with alum would be nice, but maybe they implement the whole watch with that kind of material...the glass part i mean...fo example the bottom part of the watch.

Sapphire doesn't scratch, except with diamonds, but it cracks/breaks. That's why good watches are usually made with metal that scratches, but the crystal is made of sapphire.

Of course, some companies like Omega make watches entirely out of things like ceramic, which is essentially scratch proof...until something like this happens:

 

[lowendlinux]

It wouldn't surprise me at all if the new watch had smaller bezels..smaller bezels on the phone and watch

 

[rp2011]

It looked dated on release.

Looks timeless to me.

 

[rjp1]

I think the battery life is fine if you are an inactive person. If you use it for fitness tracking, then you quickly find out how ****** the battery life is on the Apple Watch. I won't be buying another until they improve it - A LOT.

 

[jarman92]

The iWatch will be a flop until the this triple fix occurs.

1) 1 week battery life
2) always on display
3) make it less chunky

First of all, the name of the product is Apple Watch. Second, it’s not remotely close to a “flop” as-is. Third, it will probably never have a week of battery because physics. And last, it’s already quite attractive and not at all “chunky.”

 

[mistasopz]

One of the only things that apple makes that people would actually care if it were thinner and they don't do it...