Apple Watch 2, Apple Watch S Rumors: Release Date Inbound, Internal Changes Only

New reports surrounding the Apple Watch 2 or the Apple Watch S are finally starting to circulate the web, and it appears as if the fans of the smartwatch might be a bit disappointed. The new reports indicate the Apple Watch 2 is going to have some updates, but those updates will likely be on the inside of the device. The cosmetic part of the device, the outside of the Apple Watch S, is rumored to look identical to the very first generation the Cupertino company rolled out.

If these rumors are true, it would mean earlier talk about a much thinner Apple Watch 2 would be false. Those rumors said the S was going to be as much as 40 percent thinner, though that seemed unlikely right from the get go. A body that wasn’t as thick and was lighter than the original didn’t seem out of the realm of possibility. Apple Insider is claiming the Apple Watch 2 will be an S model the same way the parent company handles iPhones, meaning the big changes to the design won’t be coming until 2017. The same website says there have been some clues that lead to the tech world believing the next generation will be coming sometime later this year.

Apple drove the price down of the original watch in February by $100. There are no better signs that the company is planning to release another model quite like a price drop. The late winter, early spring reduction in price also tends to hint that the Apple Watch S will be out by the end of this year. Considering the next iPhone is likely going to be coming in September, that would seem like a natural time to also release the Apple Watch S.

9to5Mac has long believed the internal changes will include a front-facing camera that will allow for the Apple Watch 2 to have FaceTime chats. That detail sounds pretty cool for those who love the FaceTime feature, and it also moves wearers of the device one step closer to living in an episode of Star Trek or Flash Gordon. There have also been rumors that the Apple Watch S could have a chipset that would allow it to stand alone from the iPhone. While that would certainly be key for anyone who wants to be able to wander away from their handsets. At the same time, the Cupertino firm apparently meant to tie the devices together when they released the original Apple Watch, and it seems as if the second generation of the wristwatch would be a bit early to sever those ties.

If the Apple Watch S is going to continue to be tied to the handset, a recent patent filing would make quite a bit of sense. That filing includes the technology for users to control the volume of their phones with the Apple Watch 2. According to the patent filing, the tech used to do this is pretty impressive. The Apple Watch S would grab a sample of the iPhone ringtone, analyze it, and adjust the volume of the iPhone based on the analysis. The function isn’t as exciting as having video chat on your wrist, but it’s impressive nonetheless. The final internal improvement expected with the newest smartwatch is something fans of the company are always hoping for with the release of each one of its devices. That hope is for better battery life. If there was one incredibly common complaint about the first generation, it was the short period the gadget could go without needing to charge. While all of these are still rumors, it’s a safe bet we’ll be finding out more about the Apple Watch S in the near future.

[Photo by Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Images]