POLL - Apple Watch 2 in September, Xmas or 2017

Here you go.

http://forums.macrumors.com/threads/watch-2-0-release-date-best-guess.1972081/

 

I'm going to say fall announcement with retail availability in time for Xmas.

 

2018...

 

I'm debating digging up an old thread from last fall where I predicted that there would be a 1.5-2 year gap before the AW2, and a couple of people flat out told me I was wrong and that there would be an AW2 in spring 2016.

 

With the improvements they've made to fitness and performance with watchOS 3, I reckon these were designed with an AW2 in mind, probably to come out with the software upgrade in September.

 

Apple's problem is not the hardware. From an internal technology perspective, the AW probably already far exceeds anything else on the market today. About the only mainstream technologies it lacks are GPS and a barometric altimeter. The problem is crap-turd software (OS, apps, and the supporting mobile and web ecosystem). The Watch and Activity apps on the phone royally suck, and they will need a revamp for iOS 10. I wonder if Apple has any plans to enter the current millennia and build a web site like the entire rest of the whole fitness and activity universe?

The sharing and social features are key, because Fitbit is eating Apple's lunch in the activity space. But, Apple will still be hamstring the if other tools have no way to push data into the iPhone Activity and Watch Activity apps. Until Apple grows up and builds bi-directional activity and fitness data movement between Watch↔PhoneApp↔WebApp, then it will be a 2nd tier activity tracker and a fitness poseur.

Here is my personal case study... we took a family vacation with a lot of walking activity. Several of us have Apple watches, and we all have Fitbits. We used our Fitbits, because they do the best job of tracking activity and showing each of us and others what we were up to. My AW also captured everything, but it is impossible to get a good picture of my activity from any easy UI.

 

September is the start of the Xmas season. If Apple doesn't launch a new AW in Sep/Oct then it's not launching one this year. Frankly, if Apple doesn't launch an update this year it's going to lose whatever inroads it's made in the category. WatchOS 3 is a needed tweak for the existing watch, but it doesn't, can't, resolve its missing elements like GPS or being totally independent of the iPhone.

 

I think that the manufacturing capacity for the current gen AW has been well above 1M units/month since May of 2015. It will probably be similar (and on time) for the AW 2.

 

There is as much time left to make AW2's as there is to make millions of iPhone 7s, so yes.

 

Apple Watch 2 will be released alongside iPhone 7 in September, what an expensive month it'll be.

 

Here's a rumour:

http://9to5mac.com/2016/06/15/apple-watch-2-launch-date-2/

 

Suck it June 16 - June 30!

 

I don't see it this year now. WatchOS 3 won't be released until September right?

 

That doesn't preclude them from releasing the AW2 along with watchOS 3 in September, or shortly thereafter.

 

I am betting Apple can not stand it and will introduce the AW2 for Christmas 2016

 

Another reason I think they wait. IPhone 7, ne MBP's all expected this year. They need revenue to report every quarter.