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What Will The Apple Watch Refresh Cycle Be? [MERGED]
- Thread starter guzhogi
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I'm seriously doubting this watch will be on the iPhone refresh cycle.
Probably, they'll add some more cases before they upgrade the internals. They're already planning to add more bands.
They've also revamped the trade-in program. This tells me that they're going to include the watch to encourage upgrades when they finally DO refresh the line.
Those are my best guesses.
Probably, they'll add some more cases before they upgrade the internals. They're already planning to add more bands.
They've also revamped the trade-in program. This tells me that they're going to include the watch to encourage upgrades when they finally DO refresh the line.
Those are my best guesses.
I am like you trying to decide between the sport or ss model but currently leaning toward the ss model because I do not believe this will get updated annually like other products (at least not in a very meaningful way). I could be wrong, but since the iPhone does most of the computing for the watch I do not think it is necessary to update the watch every year or two. Obviously there will be future updates but I think (hope) Apple will keep the first gen watches relevant for a long time.
What slow rollout? It's normal for new Apple products. The original iPhone and iPad took 6 months from unveiling to streeting.
I'm talking about the markets the watch will be available in at launch
If they don't get around to supplying the world with the first gen until November or December, then they aren't going to turn around and release gen 2 in April.
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The way the watch works right now, with 3rd party apps, the iPhone is doing all the processing. The watch is just a display for an iPhone app.
I think this has a lot to do with the battery. They don't want to allow developers to write apps which destroy the battery. Google Wear allows this now, and some apps can drain the battery in less than 45 minutes.
A processor improvement for the Watch won't be needed if this 3rd party apps still have this requirement.
A better battery and more sensors is all that an update would include. The only thing that would get me to buy a second watch in a year would be a better battery life and I don't think battery technology will improve greatly in 1 year.
Plus, I never buy every single new iPhone or iPad. I bought the original iPad, skipped the iPad 2,3 and 4, then bought the iPad Air (5). The same would be done with the watch. Maybe in 3-4 years, the improvement would be great enough to switch.
I think this has a lot to do with the battery. They don't want to allow developers to write apps which destroy the battery. Google Wear allows this now, and some apps can drain the battery in less than 45 minutes.
A processor improvement for the Watch won't be needed if this 3rd party apps still have this requirement.
A better battery and more sensors is all that an update would include. The only thing that would get me to buy a second watch in a year would be a better battery life and I don't think battery technology will improve greatly in 1 year.
Plus, I never buy every single new iPhone or iPad. I bought the original iPad, skipped the iPad 2,3 and 4, then bought the iPad Air (5). The same would be done with the watch. Maybe in 3-4 years, the improvement would be great enough to switch.
Not sure what you mean. It's launching in more countries at debut than all other iDevices to date, yet they get upgraded yearly.
I'd bet we'll get a second one next year, but it won't be something worth upgrading for, just enough new features to get more people onboard rather than selling old customers on upgrades. I think the worthwhile upgrades will be every other year, same as iPhone.
Upgrading will probably be similar to iPad, something people only do once in a while. I've owned iPad 1, iPad 3, and iPad Air, my mom still uses my iPad 1.
Upgrading will probably be similar to iPad, something people only do once in a while. I've owned iPad 1, iPad 3, and iPad Air, my mom still uses my iPad 1.
Yeah. I was never motivated to upgrade iPad every new version like I have the iPhone.
I think I'll feel the same way about the Apple Watch. We've had the first iPad, the iPad 3, iPad mini and mini retina, and iPad Air (the first).
We still own 3 of them, as there are 3 people in the house who use iPads.
Contrast that with the 5 iPhones we have (all 6 plus through 5s). We upgrade very regularly with those.
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See, this is where I think they'll use new case colors (likely gold and rose gold aluminum or some such) to get more customers. Along with new bands. Those bands are not cheap.
I don't think they'll really upgrade internals for at least 2 years.
We may get a refresh in Fall 2016, but updates will probably be more accessory and case based within the next year.
I also do not think we are going to see a major redesign for a few years. I think added sensors perhaps, maybe an mm thinner, but we would all rather better battery life then thinner. The display is already HI-RES enough, do not think that needs to be updated for a few generations.
I also do not think we are going to see a major redesign for a few years. I think added sensors perhaps, maybe an mm thinner, but we would all rather better battery life then thinner. The display is already HI-RES enough, do not think that needs to be updated for a few generations.
My take:
Case remains the same form factor for 2 or 3 gens.
Gen 1 with Platinum Edition and more band options (maybe even an anodized gold Sport) Fall 2015
Gen 2 with S2, GPS and BP and/or Glucose and .... sensors added in fall 2016
Gen 3 with S3 and more health sensors fall 2017
Gen 4 with S4, new cases (same band connector) and more health sensors fall 2018
Gen 5 with S5.....more health sensors fall 2019.......
Case remains the same form factor for 2 or 3 gens.
Gen 1 with Platinum Edition and more band options (maybe even an anodized gold Sport) Fall 2015
Gen 2 with S2, GPS and BP and/or Glucose and .... sensors added in fall 2016
Gen 3 with S3 and more health sensors fall 2017
Gen 4 with S4, new cases (same band connector) and more health sensors fall 2018
Gen 5 with S5.....more health sensors fall 2019.......
Pretty sure the iPhone 3g launched in 22 countries. The iPhone 6 launched in 10 and a week later launched in 22 more. And then launched in even more in the next couple of weeks. It's possible that Apple may move that quickly with the watch but it sure doesn't seem like they will.
My guess is that their strategy, whatever it is, around the refresh cycle has a lot to do with momentum in the beginning rather than technological advancements, etc. They need to prove to the market that the watch is here to stay beyond a first gen fad that comes and goes, which means that they'll likely be aggressive up front about releasing something within a year. Once they've proven that it is a viable product and people are on board, it isn't as crucial to sprint. Instead they can ease up a bit and let the tech come to them before another refresh.
Completely speculation, but it seems to make sense?
Completely speculation, but it seems to make sense?
I'll have to stand corrected regarding the iPhone 3G; however, the rest of the iPhone lineup launched in equivalent or fewer countries compared to the Apple Watch's anticipated day 1 availability so your assertion of a "slow rollout" precluding a yearly refresh is incorrect.
Certainly annually, with maybe a small refresh every 6 months.
It won't be 3+ years like the AppleTV if they want to stay relevant. AppleTV has worked because I think they're slowly working to where they want to take it. But the watch will follow the iPhone and iPad in terms of OS and hardware renewals.
It won't be 3+ years like the AppleTV if they want to stay relevant. AppleTV has worked because I think they're slowly working to where they want to take it. But the watch will follow the iPhone and iPad in terms of OS and hardware renewals.
You should probably have looked up charts that included the 5s and 6. Both of those launches had 10 countries at launch (one more than the watch) and in the case of the 6, launched in 22 more countries he following week. By November most of the civilized world had the iPhone 6 available. I mentioned this in my post. If Apple takes that aggressively fast rollout with the watch, then I'll be more open to the idea of a yearly refresh( though I still doubt it, for other reasons). But I don't think Apple will be moving hat quickly with launching the watch in every country. But we'll see.
Regardless, the extremely slow rollout with some of the iPhone models didn't preclude the following year's refresh so your assertion is quite incorrect.
Yearly
Obviously, this product category will see yearly refreshes.
That is practically a given at this point.
Apple is clearly going "all in" in the wearable space.
Their competition, Android Wear, has some strengths & weaknesses...
Its strongest competitive advantage is the fact that literally hundreds of devices will come out by a myriad of manufacturers, running the OS.
We will definitely see in the near future, at least one new Android Wear device release per month, similar to the flurry of Android phone releases we see today.
If you think for a second that Apple is going to say: "well, we may have MUCH more invested in this space than any other manufacturer... and hired all these health experts, and built out this payment service, and created a framework for interoperability of home automation devices & more, we may have built test centers, did extensive research... made new hires to push into the the fashion retail space, found select celebrity endorsements, are tying control of our Apple TV with this, and whatnot..... but we're thinking actually, at this point, it would be a good idea to let like two to three years of Android Wear products flood the market, with increasingly cooler new features and abilities, before we give the Apple Watch any attention again.", you're insane.
Obviously, this product category will see yearly refreshes.
That is practically a given at this point.
Apple is clearly going "all in" in the wearable space.
Their competition, Android Wear, has some strengths & weaknesses...
Its strongest competitive advantage is the fact that literally hundreds of devices will come out by a myriad of manufacturers, running the OS.
We will definitely see in the near future, at least one new Android Wear device release per month, similar to the flurry of Android phone releases we see today.
If you think for a second that Apple is going to say: "well, we may have MUCH more invested in this space than any other manufacturer... and hired all these health experts, and built out this payment service, and created a framework for interoperability of home automation devices & more, we may have built test centers, did extensive research... made new hires to push into the the fashion retail space, found select celebrity endorsements, are tying control of our Apple TV with this, and whatnot..... but we're thinking actually, at this point, it would be a good idea to let like two to three years of Android Wear products flood the market, with increasingly cooler new features and abilities, before we give the Apple Watch any attention again.", you're insane.
The only slow roll out was the original iPhone, and it's not 2007 anymore. Each other phone had a faster roll out than the last, and they were quite fast. So, again, if Apple duplicates that, which there hasn't been much indication that they will yet, then I would take back the assertion that the Watch's rollout is slow. As I never indicated that the iPhone's rollout is typically slow, contrary to what you seem to be getting out of the conversation, I haven't made any assertion that can be definitively incorrect.
You're assuming for no reason that the Apple Watch will have a slow rollout despite initially launching in 9 countries. Did the slow rollout of the original iPhone prevent the following year's debut of the iPhone 3G? No and so there's no reason to expect otherwise of the Apple Watch.