Apple Watch 2 Release Date, Price and Specs – CNET

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• ​Apple Watch 2: My wish list for September 7
• Looking for big iPhone changes? Wait till next year
• iPhone 7: What to expect

Apple has made it official: something’s happening on September 7 — and it’s most likely the debut of the Apple Watch 2 (and iPhone 7). As was rumored for the past few weeks, the company will indeed be hosting an event on the first Wednesday in September; we now know it’s scheduled for 10 a.m. PT and going down at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco. This puts us on track for a likely retail release on September 16 or 23, if the company follows the pattern of years past.

We already know that existing Apple Watch units will be getting a nice software upgrade in the form of WatchOS 3, which the company unveiled at its WWDC show in June (alongside iOS 10 and MacOS Sierra). The new software includes a tweaked interface, even faster performance, and better fitness tracking capabilities — and the functionality of the Watch’s side button even changes completely. In our brief demo, we found OS 3 quite promising.

With built-in cellular connectivity off the table (according to an August Bloomberg report), what’s rumored to be coming to the new Watch (besides the software improvements of the aforementioned WatchOS 3) is generally rumored to be be GPS, a faster processor and a bigger battery.

With only days left before we find out for sure, here’s a summary of everything that’s rumored and expected for the Apple Watch 2.

Editors’ note: This story was originally posted on December 24, 2015, and last updated on August 29, 2016.

What’s new and different about the 2016 Apple Watch?

The current consensus is that the next Apple Watch won’t diverge dramatically, if at all, from the original’s rectangular, iPod Nano-ish form factor. Perhaps that’s for the best; according to CNET’s Scott Stein, “in terms of craftsmanship, there isn’t a more elegantly made piece of wearable tech” than the Apple Watch.

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KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who last year correctly predicted Apple would launch the iPhone SE, says there are two new Apple Watches coming in the second half of 2016, MacRumors reports. One model will apparently be an incremental upgrade to the current Watch, with a better processor and improved waterproofing.

A second model, to be called the Apple Watch 2, boasts those improvements plus more precise location tracking thanks to GPS and a barometer, as well as a bigger battery. Some have predicted that Apple will adopt its iPhone “S” refresh cadence for the Watch, releasing modest updates between more significant redesigns.

One particularly hot topic of conjecture has been the enhancement of the watch’s capabilities when not connected to an iPhone. In April 2016, The Wall Street Journal published a report suggesting that Apple is working on adding cellular network connectivity to the Apple Watch 2, in addition to a faster processor.

Will the next Apple Watch be more independent?

Jason Cipriani/CNET

Though the recent Watch OS 2 update has improved the original Apple Watch’s capabilities when away from a phone, a second-generation would ostensibly extend the device’s independent functionality. And there is evidence in support of this: Apple paved the way for Watch independence when it required that all Watch apps submitted to the App Store after June 1 be required to be “native apps built with the watchOS 2 SDK.” In light of the August Bloomberg story, however, we may have to wait until the Apple Watch 3 for the iPhone-Watch link to be severed.

Many folks are hoping for better battery life. With the first generation Apple Watch, even moderate use can burn down the battery in less than 24 hours. In fact, one of the earliest Apple Watch 2 rumors to surface, back in July, characterized LG and Samsung as working to produce a thinner OLED display for the second-generation model, which would allow for a larger battery in a similarly sized device.

And though Apple has sometimes sacrificed functionality for best-in-class aesthetics — the merely adequate battery life of the iPhone 6 and 6S would serve as one example — it seems unlikely that Apple would want to deliver another Watch equipped with anything less than 24 hours worth of run time. Especially with competitors like the Pebble Time Steel capable of going more than a week between charges.

The Pebble Time Steel.

Sarah Tew / CNET

There is speculation that Apple could add a camera to the Watch 2. According to 9to5mac.com, the company is considering building a camera into the top bezel, ostensibly enabling users to FaceTime via the device. The debut of Watch OS 2 has already made it possible to pick up or hang up calls using the watch’s controls. (This notion has received some additional support from a recent TechCrunch article.)

Apple’s Tim Cook

James Martin

Other possibilities being discussed include the ability to track sleep and smart straps that would include extra sensors for tracking fitness; Apple’s recently filed patent application shows a ring-shaped device that can test your heart’s rhythm, which might hint at a future product. In fact, Apple CEO Tim Cook hinted in an interview that the company could build “something adjacent to the watch” that would be more medically focused and would require US Food and Drug Administration approval. That could be an app, he said, or “something else.”

And here’s an oddball one. As reported by 9to5mac.com, in February, 2016, Apple filed a patent application for a wearable device that could measure ambient sound levels and adjust the volume of alerts (or Siri) accordingly.

And then there’s pricing. The original Apple Watch was priced along a rather remarkable spectrum, starting at $349 and soaring to $17,000. On March 21, 2016, Apple announced a slight price drop for the entry-level Sport model. The 38mm Apple Watch Sport now starts at $299, down from $349. In the UK it starts at £259 and in Australia AU$429. Is the price drop a trial balloon for a revised strategy? Or are retailers merely clearing “old” first-gen inventory in anticipation of the next generation?

Time will tell.

Scroll down for a reverse-chronological look at the latest rumors.

August 29, 2016

Apple sends invites for September 7: iPhone 7, Apple Watch 2 most likely on tap

Rumored no longer: The company sent out invitations for its event, confirming the date of Apple’s next product announcement.

August 19, 2016

Battery concerns may keep cellular abilities out of the next Apple Watch

A report says Apple planned to untether its Watch from its iPhone by the end of 2016, but technical issues interfered.

August 18, 2016

Apple Watch 2 reportedly faces hurdles in bid for iPhone independence

Rumors pegged Apple’s next smartwatch as a standalone cellular device that would work without being connected to the iPhone. Now, major problems are cropping up, Bloomberg reports.

August 11, 2016

An Apple wearable heart reader may be its next big thing

A patent application shows a ring-shaped device that can test your heart’s rhythm and may hint at a future product.

August 9, 2016

Two new Apple Watches coming this year, report says

An analyst says the two smartwatches will offer improved specs, though not a radical redesign.

June 14, 2016

Apple’s total rethink of the Apple Watch is exactly the step forward it needed

First impressions: WatchOS 3 could be the start of a much better wearable.

May 24, 2016

WSJ: Apple Watch 2 could include cellular connectivity and faster processor

Sources report that the company is working on adding cell-network connectivity and a faster processor to the next-generation Watch.

May 3, 2016

Apple Watch needs time to improve (The 3:59, Ep. 38)

One year after the wearable’s release, we talk about its strengths and weaknesses.

April 28, 2016

Can the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch 2 change Apple’s fortunes?

Apple’s earnings were down across the board, but do they have anything that can turn things around? Plus, get lunch with Tim Cook…for over $200k.

April 23, 2016

Apple Watch apps could get zippier with new requirement for app makers

Apple says third-party Watch apps for the App Store must be able to run without the help of an iPhone.

April 21, 2016

Apple’s Watch Outpaced the iPhone in First Year

Apple is working on including cellular network connectivity and a faster processor in the Apple Watch 2.

April 19, 2016

Apple confirms WWDC 2016 developers conference begins June 13

Apple announces dates for this year’s developer conference in San Francisco, confirming what we learned earlier from the company’s own digital assistant.

April 14, 2016

Video: Is the Apple Watch S coming before the Apple Watch 2?

Will the company adopt the iPhone midcycle refresh?

April 11, 2016

Apple Watch due for a sophomore slump

Don’t expect any big design changes to Apple’s smartwatch in 2016, says a keen-eyed analyst. But do expect sales to tail off significantly.

March 22, 2016

Where are the wearables? Apple Watch no-show caps off slow start for smartwatches

Apple joins the ranks of companies failing to introduce a new watch this year, signaling that 2016 may be more about refinement than new products.

March 21, 2016

What’s new with the Apple Watch

So far it’s just a slightly cheaper entry price, new bands and updated software, but more exciting news will come later this year.

March 21, 2016

Think $50 off Apple Watch is a good deal? How about $100?

From the Cheapskate: Apple just cut $50 off the price of the Apple Watch, but at least two retailers already have it for even less.

March 15, 2016

Everything we expect at Apple’s iPhone event on March 21

A smaller, cheaper iPhone and an update to the iPad Air 2 are likely to headline the announcements for next week’s event.

February 27, 2016

Apple To Debut New iPad, 4-Inch iPhone On March 21, Day Before FBI Hearing

Apple’s first media event of 2016 will occur one day prior to the company’s March 22 showdown with the government over a motion that would compel it to help hack an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists.

February 27, 2016

(Re)Mark Your Calendars: Apple’s Product Event Will Be Held the Week of March 21

Attention Apple nerds, investors, media and everyone else who needs to know when Tim Cook’s next product event is going to be held: It’s going to be the week of March 21.

February 18, 2016

Apple Watch remains most popular smartwatch in Q4 2015

Apple Watch captured an impressive 63 percent share of the global smartwatch market in Q4 2015, followed by Samsung with 16 percent.

February 15, 2016

Apple Watch Price Drops By $100 Ahead Of Rumored March 15 Apple Event

Fans are now treated to a very low price for the company’s smart timepiece.

February 15, 2016

Top 5 things the next Apple Watch needs

The original Apple Watch is pretty good, but it could be so much better if Apple adds these five features.

February 12, 2016

9to5mac.com: 4-inch iPhone 5se & iPad Air 3 planned to go on sale March 18th

Apple is currently on target to start selling its next iPhone and iPad alongside new Apple Watch Sport Band colors.

February 11, 2016

Apple Watch 2 could measure ambient sound to adjust volume of alerts

A patent application published today describes how an Apple Watch could periodically measure ambient sound levels, adjusting notification volumes to an appropriate level.

February 2, 2016

Thanks to Apple Watch, smartwatch sales could hit $11.5 billion this year

Apple’s smartwatch is leading to the popularity of wearable devices as a “lifestyle trend,” says research firm Gartner.

January 22, 2016

Apple to update Apple Watch in mid-March with new bands, OS + full redesign in fall

In addition to launching a new iPhone, Apple plans to announce new Apple Watch models in March.

January 15, 2016

When Will We See a New Apple Watch?

Reports of rumors suggesting that Apple might ship a minor revision of the Apple Watch that includes a FaceTime camera.

December 16, 2015

Apple to add polish, not product lines, in 2016

The tech giant likely will update its current gear, but don’t hold your breath for a car.

December 11, 2015

Apple Watch 2 rumors and Apple’s live TV service is put ‘on hold’

If Apple’s live TV service doesn’t launch in 2016 it will be a major fail. We’ll be as nice as possible when we talk about that iPhone Smart Battery Case, and we talk MacBooks.

December 8, 2015

Want an Apple Watch? Try Best Buy to save $100

Best Buy is shaving $100 off the price of an Apple Watch, but only through the holidays.

December 3, 2015

Apple hot on Fitbit’s heels as global wearable sales soar

Wearables sales are booming, with Fitbit and Apple leading the way and Chinese companies not far behind.