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Future Versions of Apple Watch to Include Additional Sensors, 'Richer Health Features'

The watch is already a tough sale so why make it even tougher?
Am I the only one that was 100% on board during the first 2 minutes but then as they started explaining the watch I lost complete interest at the end? I'm fine with the looks but it does way too much with one too many buttons and a knob that replaces a finger or is that a finger that replaces a knob. And that home screen looks like a cluttered mess. And I never want to view super small pictures on a watch or navigate when you're already tethered to the phone. Very redundant.
 
"Apple Watch rumors had initially suggested the device would come with more than 10 sensors"

Rumors are easy - reality is hard.

Why not make the rumor for the next version have more than a thousand sensors, so we can all be pleasantly disappointed again.
 
On World News Tonight, Tim Cook avoided demonstrating the heart rate feature because "it's got a few secretive things still on there."

I think we'll see the additional sensors in the first version.
 
Verita said:
Tech is only so small at this point, and adding more sensors it would add more bulk.
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I think you bring up an excellent point here that many are not considering.

Putting on my speculation hat here, I noticed in the release video that Jony mentions that they've "created a range of products" that you wear. He is, of course, referring to the various collections and combinations of bands, faces, and materials. But that got me thinking that maybe all of these other sensors come as additional, less expensive, companion devices that connect to the watch. There are a lot of benefits to that approach.

Rather than making folks feel like they're getting squeezed for a new $500 watch every year, you sell them the watch first, wait 9 months, and then release another wearable that has some sensor on it that interfaces with the watch and the Health app on your phone. Rinse/Repeat every so often to maximize ubiquity of products and profit.
 
Patriot24 said:
I'm not against faster cycles, I just don't see how they are going to be able to engineer new models, gain FCC approval, create their marketing materials, hold keynotes, and release these devices on that kind of timeline.

Even in the heydays of iPods selling like hotcakes, I don't think they ever deviated from a yearly cycle?

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I have no doubt that there's a team within Apple right now working on the next iteration. I'm just not convinced that it is going to come as fast as reported for a variety of reasons.

If I'm wrong, that's totally fine.
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FDA is a good point, but I believe all the rumored capabilities would not require approval, unless used as official data in a hospital environment. For example, I can't imagine all the possible iterations of heart rate straps we can buy today are FDA approved. I think it's a matter of intrusiveness for the users body and/or accuracy for medical diagnosis.
 
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Verita said:
Heart rate is most important, so I'm glad that capability made it. Second is the improvement of battery life that will allow sleep tracking, instead of having your watch off your wrist and charging all night.
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How long can it it take to charge the tiny capacity battery - 1 hour? two?

Take your watch off to charge while you eat supper and have a shower, and then just carry on with all your sleep tracking needs.
 
Verita said:
FCC is a good point, but I believe all the rumored capabilities would not require approval, unless used as official data in a hospital environment. For example, I can't imagine all the possible iterations of heart rate straps we can buy today are FCC approved. I think it's a matter of intrusiveness for the users body and/or accuracy for medical diagnosis.
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I forgot to mention the FDA as well as the FCC. The more sensors they add, the harder the process is going to get.
 
Wouldn't be surprised if Apple gets a little more into the first version than what was shown this week. I can just see an event early next year where Tim claims "we've already improved the Apple Watch!" which will reignite the hype before it goes on sale. I think that's why they were quite vague about what is in each watch at the intro.

Then, of course, Apple Warch 2 will be even more incredible in a year....or just before next Christmas.
 
My biggest disappointment

Definitely my biggest disappointment with apple watch was the lack of health sensors, besides the heart monitor. I'm still excited to get one when it gets out, but now I will have to spend at least $350 on the original and then another $350+ a year later or even sooner when the 2nd version comes out with all these sensors.

Really, given the features announced, I don't see why they delayed the Watch so much. It's essentially the same that's out right now, but with Apple design. This should have been out a year ago, at least!

So sad... :(
 
I can't wait until the glucose meter, that will be incredibly helpful for users with blood-sugar issues.

I wonder if it can be adapted to other chemicals present in the blood, should be exciting!
 
I personally think the battery life will be poor when it finally goes on sale. Although its nice looking, its not what i want in a health tracker, and its expensive. Ill be going with the Garmin Vivosmart when its released, as that has phone notifications as well as all the usual tracking, lasts for a week and will be around $199. Im sure the apple watch will sell to die hard apple fans, but i think we're going to have to wait for a year or so until its what it should be.
 
Supacon said:
I can't see it happening unless Apple would be satisfied releasing a product where the corners of every screen are cut off. Either that, or make it giant and put borders on anything that isn't a circle, effectively using only a portion of the screen real-estate. A square simply makes more sense for a product like this. (Although technically, the body of the Apple Watch is more of a rounded rectangle than a square).

Who knows, though? Maybe in a few years circular Android Wear devices will take off and Apple could find a way to do it that works well. A circle-shaped device would simply have to be much larger to fit the same amount of info. (Think, draw a circle around the existing rectangle).

Also, the edges of the circle would show noticeable aliasing that you'd have to compensate for in software and maybe by covering the edges with a bezel. Not ideal. If you read reviews of the Moto 360 it becomes clear that many compromises were make to make that device a circle.
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But it looks so pretty round: http://www.idownloadblog.com/2014/09/11/concept-imagines-round-apple-watch/
 
How do we know there aren't other health sensors already packed in there. We only know what Apple told us and they also said that the watch can do a whole lot more.

I am banking on the fact that there will either be another watch or wearable released at the same time the "watch" is released. Or this device is packed with a whole lot more that they haven't said.

Remember, no one has really seen this fully. Only demos apple chose to show. They are cagey about additional specs and usage as well. I think this does more then they are letting on or there will be another keynote with more devices or wearables. I think they HAD to show something now, since Tim promised big things in 2014. Thus, pressure from Wall Street to show something. They showed enough that hardware wise, it couldn't be copied in 4months. Possibly enough to keep the competition thinking this is the direction the Apple wearable is going. I find it hard to believe that Apple hired all of these key experts in medical device technology, etc and only a heartbeat monitor is avail in the wearable.

No one is going to plunk $300 min down to then throw that away to add a new one with health sensors the next year or six months etc. Unless there is a health sensor device that is separate. Worn in a different place and uses the phone as a hub and watch for viewing data. Then this makes sense. I.e. Complete ecosystem. But, I would think that this has to be shown at the time the Apple Watchbis released or would hurt adoption if the watch with people thinking exactly what had been stated in this thread that there will be more in generation 2.
 
I wonder if additional sensors might be integrated into a special 'health strap' that will send additional data to the health app.
 
The new Samsung Galaxy S is much bigger but the specs are pretty amazing coming with 3 G and wifi. Kinda make the apple watch silly. I could care less about a rotary crown dial. I bet that gets real old fast. The best thing I like about it is the apple pay. I will prob get one to try, but wish apple would have had better looking screen more like the samsung one. Not as big but curved
 
I'll be waiting for further revisions before purchasing.

At present i have a few major gripes:

1. Battery life. I want to at least have 4-5 days that I get on my FuelBand
2. Thickness. I have several watches aside from the FuelBand i wear, the Watch is thicker than all of them
3. Sensors. My real interest in the device was with rumours of a whole host of sophisticated sensors, obviously it's not feasible to have them all at the minute, points 1 and 2 are obviously inextricably linked to the number of sensors.

As a general rule I always sit out first gen products anyway, but i think the rev 2 Watch will be a major leap in all the departments i have issues with.

On the whole i think it's a good product, certainly something I'd buy if i didn't have such a large interest in health/fitness tracking.

And addition point that I would add, now that the device is out in the open, I think Apple will be less secretive in meeting with the FDA/FCC given that they don't have to fear leaks of major new product category. Obviously they will still NDA the attendees to the high heavens, but they will presumably be more relaxed in talking about the Watch with others now that everyone knows about it
 
bushido said:
hopefully by the time the 3rd one comes out they manage to built gps in it so you can ACTUALLY use it for running without having to carry another 5.5 device in your shorts lol
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What about battery life?
 
Sooo this article says that future versions will have newer features? Ummmm Yeah. I really hope the source has a good time saying "see I told you! New features!!" in 2016-17 hah gesh macrumors has been reporting anything these days
 
MyDataMyProbs said:
you also hated the iPhone 4,5,6 and went to samsung right?
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Nope, but I skipped iPhone and iPhone 3G.

I think the :apple:watch is a highly competitive device, but that isn't enough for me to want one. They can do more and I'm perfectly happy waiting until they do.

(I know your comment wasn't aimed at me, but I'm responding anyway ;) )
 
Tomapple said:
Definitely my biggest disappointment with apple watch was the lack of health sensors, besides the heart monitor. I'm still excited to get one when it gets out, but now I will have to spend at least $350 on the original and then another $350+ a year later or even sooner when the 2nd version comes out with all these sensors.

Really, given the features announced, I don't see why they delayed the Watch so much. It's essentially the same that's out right now, but with Apple design. This should have been out a year ago, at least!

So sad... :(
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I agree. There was meant to 10 sensors, now its pretty much using the iphone to track you, and its only doing the same thing as whats out at the moment in a nice design. I honestly think this is a case of apple really dragging out the tech so they can keep updating and charging a minimum of $350 per year.
 
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