New Apple Watch to Launch in Fall 2017 With Improved Battery Life But No Major Design Changes

[gorkt]

Odd, the battery life in the series 2 is fine. I would like it a bit thinner.

What about a special band with extra battery to be used for sleep? Charge the sleep band during the day, then wear the watch at night for sleep tracking. It charges the watch at night and drains the band battery.

 

[JustMartin]

I've been waiting nearly 4 weeks for my watch to arrive. It's a joke.

I reserved mine online at PC-World and then went and collected it 20 minutes later. They seemed to have a good variety available as well.

 

[Zimmy68]

Another wasted year with no new designs.
Its nice to have no competition, right?

 

[5105973]

+1

Having this capability would be a game-changer for the Apple Watch. For some customers, having the communicator on your wrist while using other devices as your "screen" would be more convenient.

This would transform the Apple Watch from a nice-to-have accessory to a necessity for some. I don't see it replacing the iPhone as much as giving people different options depending on how they work and communicate.

It truly is cool to have. There's been a couple of times I've gone out back on my property without a phone, thinking "Oh heck I'm just going out back, I don't need to bring the phone with me." Only to find myself in a situation where I needed to call my husband really quick...when you live semi-rural, stuff happens. So I just brought my 3G Gear S2 up and made the call. On At&T Number Sync it has its own number it uses when it goes beyond the Bluetooth range of the phone it is paired with. So the future is here, and it works well and it is nice to have, so I hope Apple embraces it.

Samsung is working on getting its watches to work with iPhones. When it does, if it can do it well, Apple is going to get a run for the money.

I myself was extremely skeptical of a round smart watch but the user interface Samsung implemented is really smooth and easy to navigate. And it looks nice.

I do still prefer my Apple Watch because I like how it does notifications a bit better and I like activity rings the best of all the ways to track fitness that I've tried so far. I also like how Apple does watch bands. But owning Gear watches shows me what more can be done with this kind of device and how Apple is missing certain marks.

 

[69Mustang]

Agreed there's less apps, but who do you mean by 'you'? Surely ALL apps would need to be redesigned. Two shapes would add a lot of design work and hinder future app development, discouraging it when we'd like more of it.

Worse, I think a lot of designers will make compromises, designing apps to run on either by ignoring all space that's not common to both.

This doesn't make any sense at all. Devs already make apps for the watch, iPhones, and iPads. Making an app that conforms to a circular screen would be no more difficult than making one that conforms to a rectangular one. A lot of apps on the AW already have a circular design, including some of Apple's apps. Most app developers aren't developing for fun. They do it to get paid. If a new source of revenue is available (apps for a circular design), they will go after it. It's called work. It's what people do.

 

[Mr. Dee]

Just like the iPhone, I probably won't pick up one until the 6th version. The thing about the Watch, I never had one before and I still can't find a compelling reason to own one now.

 

[Nahaz]

My series 1 watch (Pre CPU Bump) is quite fine. I would have to agree with some of the comments in regards to the battery life being quite okay, but it would be nice if we only had to charge it twice a week or so. Thinner would be acceptable if they didn't sacrifice battery life.

Right now all I would like to see are;

1. Better Watch Faces
2. More Useful Apps
3. Faster CPU
4 Thumbprint Unlock

I don't know if these apps exist, but I would like to see a watch app that warns you when you leave your phone behind.
The ability to send me alerts when I am at a certain place, ie - To pick up milk you drive past a shop on your way home.

Plus Apple needs to add more country wallpapers on the watch. London, New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Shanghai. Where's Australia? In Fact, where are any of the Southern Hemisphere city wallpapers?

 

[Phil A.]

Standard watches are far too big for most to sleep in. I wore a Jawbone UP for years but at least it was small and didn't get in the way while sleeping.

If you want sleep tracking, there are a number of apps that can do it simply by setting your phone on your nightstand.

My Forerunner is bigger than my AW, but I have no issues at all sleeping in it.

The only thing an App can do to track your sleep is time the amount of time it's on your nightstand - proper sleep tracking will estimate how much deep sleep you get by monitoring your movement during the night

 

[Naimfan]

Apple Watch? Snore . . .

 

[Smith288]

The only apple product I care about it being thinner. But my series two is only at 75-80% by the end of the day. Pretty impressive I think.

 

[BlueMoon63]

They are moving at a glacial pace with this product when you compare the situation with Gear S2 and Gear S3 watches which have variants that already offer cellular connectivity without killing the battery. My sport edition of the Gear S2 runs two full days on a charge with 3G. My husband's Frontier Gear S3 runs a full day and has LTE as well as a large rugged looking real watch appearance a lot of men on this forum say they miss on an Apple Watch.

But where they are missing out on is watch faces. The Samsung store has a wide variety of interesting and useful watch faces ranging from free to $1.99 for a "variety pack" with one basic face that can be recolored. Some watch faces do drain the battery faster but most developers as well as reviewers will warn about that. The customer can then decide if they still want the face or not, like the adults we are.

Anyway, in addition to making money on bands, they could be making some money on watch faces like they do for iMessage sticker packs. It would certainly make the Apple Watch more interesting.

It's hard to compare the AW to Gear watches and their days of battery life. I tried in the S3 and not only did it not fit under my shirt, but it also didn't fit under my jacket sleeve. That is obviously so thick because of battery size. Of course it will last longer, even with LTE. I don't think Apple wants to go that thick as they know how poorly the gear models have sold. Would love it if Apple would add some additional features but not if that means even thicker and wider.

 

[deffcap]

It comfortably lasts a day with heavy use, but honestly it lasting two days or even three isn't that important or useful. It needs to last for a week at least, something where charging is less of an hindrance.

 

[Smith288]

Apple Watch? Snore . . .

Thank you for your excellent contribution to a topic you don't care about.

 

[LatinaC09]

I really wish Apple would make a fitness apple watch that's cheaper and is more fitness focused sort of like Samsung does with the Gear fit. I know that the Apple watch does some good fitness tracking but the battery life is terrible compared to other fitness trackers (I get about 6 days out of my Fitbit Charge 2). Anyways, it's just a wish

 

[BlueMoon63]

Given the lengthy exposition by Jony Ive around the original design rationale, I'd think it'd be a long time before Apple could plausibly change its basic form. Quoting him, "When a huge part of the function is lists, a circle doesn’t make any sense." Any other shape can't suddenly make sense.

Agreed. Also, why go round when all other round models haven't sold as much as the square AW? Right or wrong, Apple made the choice and it is selling while the others combined haven't outsold the AW?

I don't think round is a bad idea, but the square does make sense for properly aligned text without center alignment and misaligned wording to make it fit. Other things look good on circular.

If better battery life means even thicker and wider like other brands that don't sell... then no.

They can add LTE that only goes active when the phone is out of range. That would help with battery.
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The only apple product I care about it being thinner. But my series two is only at 75-80% by the end of the day. Pretty impressive I think.

Agreed. My series 2 battery is so good, the only time I charge is after my workout while showering and getting ready. That 30 minute charge has my Watch at 80% after a week.

 

[MrMac2015]

I would like it to be thinner, which is a little funny considering most Apple products are on the edge of being to thin. But the watch would look much nicer if it was thinner.

As for being circular. I am going to say HECK no. I really think a circular screen on a smart watch is just freaking stupid and backwards. There is a reason why watches were circular and why the watch face is circular, but that does not apply now that we have moved away from mechanical watches.

Why would we be hindered by that when there is no reason for it? A circular screen is just awful for display information, it's not good for anything other than telling the time. So I really hope this never happens.

Other thing I want to see the watch get is a 4G connection. I'd love to see a future where maybe the watch can replace the phone for certain people. Pair it with AirPods and you got all the phone functionality. Then you could use it with other devices like the Mac, iPad, or a new iPod Touch. When you are on any of those devices the watch pushes the phone functionality on to them. Would be an interesting place to arrive at with this technology.

But battery life needs to really improve. The Serie 2 is pretty good, I even wear mine when I sleep. Only charging when I shower in the morning and eat breakfast. However if you add an always on cel connection to it that will change quickly.

That's a great idea. Didn't think there was a need for cellular watch but that could do the trick nicely and save battery on iPhone etc

 

[wolfshades]

Unless they're looking to make the battery last over a couple of days, I don't see any sort of attraction for it. My 2nd gen Apple Watch still has about 80% battery life at the end of the day. Sometimes it goes as low as 70% IIRC - but that's still pretty decent.

 

[5105973]

It's hard to compare the AW to Gear watches and their days of battery life. I tried in the S3 and not only did it not fit under my shirt, but it also didn't fit under my jacket sleeve. That is obviously so thick because of battery size. Of course it will last longer, even with LTE. I don't think Apple wants to go that thick as they know how poorly the gear models have sold. Would love it if Apple would add some additional features but not if that means even thicker and wider.

LTE requires it to be rather large, yes. I did just check the box my Gear S2 was packaged in and it says I actually have 4G connectivity. I keep thinking I have 3G because the initial Gear S2 watches were 3G and that gets stuck in my head. 4G does get the job done well in a more comfortably sized chassis and can still be a desirable option for Apple.

There have been some guys on this forum who have complained the Apple Watches are too small or too unisex in design for them. If Apple wants to, it can cater to them with a big LTE option. If not, Samsung is apparently going to attempt to.

 

[Bacillus]

Tim: GrumpyHell ! Just another leak !
Phil and Greg must be behind this. Can't be Joni who's just shaving off batteries to make things thinner !
Phil: Butt, I'm secure. Don't even speak Chinese.
Greg: And I have abruptly stopped to disclose any idea's. Privacy !
Angela: Can't be me. I can only accomodate a thinner hockey-puck than we currently have.
Tim: So decisionmaking stalls again. Then it is up to me to decide.
All: And what will you do ?
Tim: As I said ! I am on the peddles now and let's keep it that way ...
_____

 

[FatherJack1980]

Given the lengthy exposition by Jony Ive around the original design rationale, I'd think it'd be a long time before Apple could plausibly change its basic form.

Oh I'm sure Apple would be able to backpedal pretty fast, like they've done before. *cough*http://www.cheatsheet.com/technolog...ve-jobss-product-design-rules.html/?a=viewall*cough*

What I would like to see in the Apple Watch - which would make me start to potentially be interested in buying it would be:

1) Sleep tracking - and the ability to wirelessly send that info into a program in the computer; along with an alarm clock that you set the time where you need to be up and then it gently wakes you up in the perfect sleep cycle; I've sometimes used an app for that and its incredible useful and great, but I'm way too nervous having to sleep with the phone in the bed with me (along with hating the app for having to have needed to sign up)

2) Ability to have the watch on my arm while swimming and never having to think about having to flush out the water; because you have to do that manually after each swim, as far as I can see from reading about the current iteration of the current watch for sale.

 

[Scarpad]

Just bought a series 1 and love it

 

[nburwell]

im happy with my 1st gen, until we see some design changes, or at least some radical app changes, that this watch can't do.

Well said. I saw no need to upgrade my 1st gen watch and will continue to keep it until Apple introduces an AW with some radical new features that my 1st gen can't do.

 

[dilbert99]

You obviously would be willing to have less battery life to make it circular? As the poster above said circular makes no sense in a smart watch. You can put a circular clock face on it already.

I'd hazard a guess that it makes sense to those who like round watches.
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Prediction for MR comments

Apple is Doomed
Fire Tim Cook!
I don't want new watch, I want a cheap desktop with all legacy ports
AW is too expensive
Looks the same, Apple is dead
I hate Apple
I rather buy Samsung
I pre-ordered the S3 AW
UPS said my S3 watch is shipping already. Why do I have to wait?
Out of stock? Tim Cook is a failure
Show my your S3.
My S3 AW has a microscopic defect. Tim Cook is a failure!
I hate Apple, but I pre-ordered two watches. Oh and I will buy iPhone 8 too, but Tim cook is the worst!

Sounds like your predictions were off for this thread

 

[Mackinjosh]

lol same stupid, ugly design. It never gets old seeing someone wearing one of these and just laughing.

 

[Naimfan]

Thank you for your excellent contribution to a topic you don't care about.

Always glad to help people realize what a complete waste of money and effort the watch represents.