As far as my predictions for the Series 5, I think that they’ll fall in a few major priorities:
1. Autonomy. The new Apple Watch will be the first to be self contained and won’t require any phone to set up and pair. This is already reflective in the new watchOS beta but will require a more powerful CPU to fully realize.
This will have the added effect of bringing Android users into the Apple Watch customer pool since the Watch won’t need an iPhone to setup. Like the iPod when iTunes for Windows was released, it’ll be a major inflection point for the Watch opening up the floodgates and making it a true ubiquitous hit. Expect to see Watch sales to more than double when anyone on any platform can buy one.
2. Siri. Voice is the principle way in which we interact with Apple Watch. Unlike an iPhone, it’s not always connected and there is a delay in processing voice requests, if there is a connection at all. This brings up the need for on device Siri processing. A dedicated Siri chip could process voice recognition and hold a cache of common information for responses. More complex requests would still be pulled down from Siri servers in the cloud when available.
3. Accessories. While people have been calling for a blood glucose monitor built into the Watch, the technology isn’t there yet, let alone miniaturized for an Apple Watch. The alternative is to allow diabetics to pair their CGM (continuous glucose monitors) that they apply on their skin, to the Watch directly, rather than need to carry an iPhone.
In the same focus, other accessories would be able to be added, such as a wireless camera strap and an open framework to allow third parties to add accessories to the Watch and quickly improve its feature set.
Finally, this opens up the path ahead for what’s coming the following year: Apple Glasses. For Apple’s wearables strategy to work, the user needs to be able to rely on their wearables alone. The holy trinity of Watch + AirPods + Glasses will eventually replace the need for an iPhone, opening up another decade of growth for Apple when the iPhone falls off (it’s already started). Glasses will be a 2020 accessory but the Series 5 will begin the move.
On built in health sensors, I think the next obvious low hanging fruit is in blood oxygenation monitoring. Current sensors can already detect this but haven’t been accurate enough to deploy. Improvements to the Watch’s sensors can make this finally available. Oxygen level data is valuable in measuring fitness and progression in workouts.
Also, as I pointed out in my previous post, the Series 5 Watch will likely charge via standard Qi. Drop your Watch on any Qi charging pad and it’ll charge. No need for a proprietary charging puck.
Going forward to the Series 6, a 5G chip will truly unleash it as a stand-alone device. MicroLEDs will improve battery and allow for an always on display. But we’re about 2 years away for these which is why I left them off my realistic Series 5 predictions.
All of what you wrote makes an awful lot of sense! I agree with all of it!
Not necessarily what I'd be in interested in (other than being able to get rid of the cell phone) as in Luxembourg we are missing one crucial bit of integration: Siri isn't available in our native language (not going to talk in another language to my watch, even if I get beyond the "how ridiculous is it to talk to a watch" thing)
PulseOx is definitely a given, that's easy to implement (and rumors are persistent that the series 4 already has a sensor capable of doing it so the 5 will definitely go in that direction).
I think Apple suffer through the same problem that every other wearable company currently has, being the devices are capable of extraordinary things and collect an extraordinary amount of data, however currently it's just that, data. It leaves the user to figure out for themselves what it all menas and connect the dots.
dcrainmaker has written and talked extensively about this also.
Garmin and Suunto have started to change by implementing the FirstBeat metrics for Stress and Body Battery (which I do actually find extremely useful if a bit underwhelming still). Polar has just taken it a step further by giving out training recommendations based on data collected (but not health-related, which is Apple's core position for the watch).
Assuming Apple does not care about performance tracking but rather health and general fitness I think they must start to look into how to make the collected data useful (i.e. not like Polar does, but more like FirstBeat does with Stress and BodyBattery). Likely a few iterations out, but I think if a company can pull it off it is Apple!
If your 3rd bullet is to materialize (i.e. a fully integrated system with wearables giving information where needed) then they must implement a way to make it all useful to the end user. That is where then the iPhone will then position itself, as the data presentation tool (interchangeable with iPad or Mac). Watch, glasses, Ipad/iPhone all give data as needed in their context.
So while I do agree with your assessment on autonomy, I think it will be slightly more nuanced, in where the watch won't replace an iPhone/iPad, but rather augment it (but not require it nearby hence the autonomy bit). I certainly think that is the vision for the future, currently every device is overloaded with things it is not necessarily good at, the future will be a more diverse system with information presented differently by device/context. I'd certainly look forward to that!
