The new Apple Watch is about to be announced. Mac Rumors has the news.
“Apple plans to announce new Apple Watch models this fall with improved health tracking and GPS chips…The upcoming Apple Watch 2 will not, however, feature cellular connectivity to make it less dependent on the iPhone, as Apple has not been able to compensate for the extra battery life that a cellular connection consumes.”
It doesn’t look like the Apple Watch 2 will be a huge upgrade from the current Watch. [Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
The article adds that Apple had been in talks this year with mobile phone carriers to add cellular connectivity to the Apple Watch. However, Apple executives displayed concern that cellular models may not be ready for this year, but maybe next. If Apple was going to include an Apple Watch with cellular capabilities, they wouldn’t be able to release it until December. Still, many of the commenters after the Mac Rumors article are excited.
“GPS would be handy, I can finally leave my iPhone at home when I go out jogging, and use Bluetooth headphones to listen to music/podcasts,” says Sunday Ironfoot.
“Thinking of getting this one. Hopefully the ‘2’ in its name will help it pull an iPad 2 or an iPad Air 2 in terms of longevity,” says Enthusiastic.
However, some on Twitter are disappointed with what the Apple Watch 2 will allegedly offer.
The new Apple Watch is expected to be announced on September 7, right along with the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. However, Apple may once again have huge competition from Samsung, whose Gear S2 smartwatch already has 3G services. The Gear S3 will likely be announced on August 31.
According to Pocket Lint, the current code-name for the S3 is “Solis.” Based on leaked pictures, the Gear S3 will be a round smartwatch with a Rolex-like design that includes a metal bracelet and a ridged bezel. The report also notes that the 1.2-inch display of the Gear S2 could get a size increase in order to help make interactions with the screen easier for users.
Many think that Samsung is already ahead of Apple in the smartwatch market. The Gear S2, released last fall, received better reviews than the Apple Watch. Trusted Reviews generally liked the Gear S2 better than the Apple Watch.
“Samsung isn’t new to the smartwatch game, churning out a load of devices before the Apple Watch landed. But, with the Gear S2 it seems like the Korean might finally have got it right.”
However, the review doesn’t think Samsung’s Tizen software for Samsung’s watch was up to par yet. It’s important to note that Samsung has updated its software several times since this review came out. There are a lot of people on Twitter who love their Gear S2 watches.
Dying to see the new variants! Love my Gear S2 Classic. Never had a piece of tech that got so many compliments. https://t.co/iEHPAFDW7x
Even though Samsung has received more of a welcoming to the smartwatch industry than Apple, they are still in an industry that hasn’t taken off. Many people seem to think that smartwatches are unnecessary. Last year, Lauren Goode from Recode said what a lot of others were thinking.
“I’m going to let you in on a little secret: Most normal, non-tech-obsessed people don’t really need a smartwatch…But the question isn’t whether you should buy this new Pebble, or a fancier Samsung watch, or the Apple Watch. The question is whether you need a smartwatch at all.”
The article adds that smartwatches have a lot of neat features, but they aren’t implemented in a way that makes them useful yet. Do you think a smartwatch is necessary? Are you going to buy the Apple Watch 2 or the Samsung Gear S3? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
[Image via Daryl Deino]
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