Apple Releases watchOS 2.2.2 Update for Apple Watch

Apple today released a new software update for the Apple Watch, upgrading watchOS 2.2.1 to version 2.2.2. The watchOS 2.2.2 update comes two months after the release of watchOS 2.2.1, a minor update that also focused mainly on bug fixes.

The 2.2.2 update can be downloaded through the dedicated Apple Watch app on the iPhone by going to General –> Software Update. To install the update, the Apple Watch must have 50 percent battery, it must be placed on the charger, and it must be in range of the iPhone.

Apple only seeded one beta of watchOS 2.2.2 to developers before releasing the update, which appears to be minor in scale. During the beta testing period, no outward-facing changes or obvious bug fixes were discovered in the update.

watchOS 2 will be succeeded by watchOS 3, which has already been provided to developers for testing purposes. watchOS 3 introduces major interface and navigation changes to the Apple Watch along with new apps like Breathe, new watch faces, and speed improvements that allow some apps to load instantly when opened.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Tag: watchOS 2.2.2
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Watch Ranked Highest in Smartwatch Customer Satisfaction by J.D. Power

Market research company J.D. Power has published the results of its 2016 Smartwatch Device Satisfaction Report, and Apple ranked highest among smartwatch manufacturers in customer satisfaction. Samsung finished in second place, although it was first in the related fitness band category.

The report measured overall satisfaction among 2,696 customers who purchased a smartwatch within the past year, including these factors listed in order of importance: ease of use, comfort, battery life, phone features, price, strength/durability, display size, styling/appearance, reliability, apps available, and customer service.

Apple earned a satisfaction score of 852 out of 1000, and a five-out-of-five Power Circle rating, compared to runner-up Samsung’s score of 842 and two-out-of-five Power Circle rating. Sony, Fitbit, and LG rounded off the top five smartwatch manufacturers with scores of 840, 839, and 827 respectively.

In June 2015, research panel Wristly said overall customer satisfaction with the Apple Watch was 97%, a statistic that Apple CEO Tim Cook cited during the company’s subsequent financial earnings call. Apple Watch’s customer satisfaction has dropped slightly since then, but it has remained consistently high overall.

J.D. Power and Associates, a division of McGraw Hill Financial, has conducted highly-regarded customer satisfaction surveys for automakers, airlines, technology brands, and more since 1968. iPhones and iPads have consistently topped J.D. Power’s smartphone and tablet customer satisfaction ratings in past years.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Tag: J.D. Power
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

Many Apple Watch Bands and Bundles Currently Listed as ‘Sold Out’

Over the past few weeks, some Apple Watch wearers have noticed that a growing portion of Apple’s band inventory has been marked as “sold out,” with many styles, sizes, and colors, now included in that group.

While Apple has made it clear that its first foray into fashion accessories will follow a “seasonal” cycle, with certain styles leaving its store forever once sold out, the array of bands unavailable on the store paints an erratic picture of shortages from all three of the Apple Watch’s seasonal collections: Spring 2015, Fall 2015, and Spring 2016.

Tracked in the U.S. on both Apple.com and the Apple Store iOS app [Direct Link], the Classic Buckle currently has the most significant stock shortage of any of the Apple Watch bands, totaling 13 out-of-stock color options in both the 38 mm and 42 mm sizes. The smaller 38 mm wrist size option is the most affected, with only one band — Saddle Brown — available to purchase. Behind Classic Buckle, the Sport Band has 12 out-of-stock options on Apple’s store, the Modern Buckle has four, and the Leather Loop has three, with varying sizes affecting availability for the latter two bands.

Out-of-Stock Apple Watch Bands

38 mm Sport
-Stone
-Apricot
-Lavender
-Lilac
-Turquoise
-Vintage Rose
-Pink

42 mm Sport
-Lavender
-Lilac
-Royal Blue
-Vintage Rose
-Green

38 mm and 42 mm Nylon
-Gold/Royal Blue

42 mm Link Bracelet
-Space Black

Leather Loop
-Medium Storm Gray
-Medium Black
-Large Black
38 mm Classic Buckle
-White
-Marigold
-Blue Jay
-Midnight Blue
-Storm Gray
-Marine Blue
-Black
-Red

42 mm Classic Buckle
-Midnight Blue
-Storm Gray
-Marine Blue
-Black
-Red

Modern Buckle
-Small Marigold
-Small Soft Pink
-Medium Midnight Blue
-Large Blue Jay
Besides the completely in-stock Milanese Loop, the newer Nylon Band is the least affected by shortages, with only the Gold/Blue colorway out of stock right now for each wrist size. The Link Bracelet is faring similarly well for 38 mm (which has stock in both Silver and Space Black) and 42 mm (which is sold out only in Space Black).

The Hermès bands have several “unavailable” options as well (the only ones to use such wording), but two collections are marked as “Sold Out,” in line with the rest of the out-of-stock Apple Watch band inventory. Still, given Hermès’ top-tier pricing and third-party nature, their shortages probably won’t affect what the stock of Apple’s own first-party bands could hint at moving forward.

In each collection, availability varies among old color options and some of the newer Spring 2016 entries, like Green and Royal Blue for the 42 mm Sport Band. Whereas some original styles have gone out of stock steadily following the launch of the Apple Watch last year, which is expected, the sudden and varying disappearance of so many colors — both new and old — is leading to speculation on what Apple might be gearing up for behind the scenes.

Out-of-Stock Apple Watch Bundles

Apple Watch Sport

-42mm Silver Aluminum Case with Royal Blue Sport Band
-42mm Silver Aluminum Case with Scuba Blue Woven Nylon
-38mm Rose Gold Aluminum Case with Royal Blue Woven Nylon
-38mm Gold Aluminum Case with Gold/Red Woven Nylon

Apple Watch

-42mm Stainless Steel Case with Storm Gray Leather Loop (All Sizes)
-42mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case with Space Black Link Bracelet
-42mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case with Black Sport Band
-38mm Space Black Stainless Steel Case with Black Sport Band
-38mm Stainless Steel Case with Blue Jay Modern Buckle (All Sizes)
-38mm Stainless Steel Case with Pearl Woven Nylon

As one Redditor posited, these shortages could be a potential hint at the incoming launch of new bands, but whether that means Apple is preparing for its first mid-season “Summer” collection, or getting a jump on fall, remains to be seen. It’s also been contemplated whether this could be early inventory shuffling ahead of the Apple Watch 2, expected to launch sometime around the iPhone 7 in the fall, with the potential for all-new band lugs making first-generation Apple Watch bands incompatible with the new wearable. That’s a highly unlikely possibility, however, given the proliferation and popularity of interchangeable bands that customers have accumulated already in one generation of the Apple Watch.

It should also be noted that the wording for each unavailable model isn’t Apple’s usual “Currently Unavailable” that typically appears when an item is temporarily out of stock for an undetermined period of time, but a seemingly more definitive “Sold Out.”

Fortunately, those bands that are in stock — including all models of the Milanese Loop — are showing shipping estimates with availability between one and three days. At the time of writing, the only bands with lengthy waiting periods are the 42 mm Saddle Brown Classic Buckle and 42 mm Light Pink Sport Band, which both have a 1-2 week shipping estimate. Some unavailable individual bands are also still in stock as part of a watch bundle, so there’s potentially a way for users to get their hand on sold-out bands if they don’t own an Apple Watch yet.

Be sure to visit the MacRumors forums to discuss the topic of the potential retirement of certain Apple Watch bands, along with plenty of other topics related to the Apple Watch and its accessories.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Tags: Apple Watch accessories, Apple Watch bands
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Invites Retail Employees in Wheelchairs to Test watchOS 3

Apple last week sent out a memo to employees, inviting those in wheelchairs to help the company test an upcoming watchOS 3 feature that adds a dedicated wheelchair mode to the Apple Watch.

With the wheelchair setting, Activity options can be customized for wheelchair users. Wheelchair pushes contribute to all-day calorie goals, there are wheelchair-specific workouts, and the “time to stand” reminders are replaced with “time to roll” reminders.

During the Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, Apple said wheelchair tracking had been in development for months through a partnership with the Lakeshore Foundation and the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which saw 300 people in wheelchairs participating in more than 3,000 hours of activity research, and the beta testing period will give Apple more time to refine and perfect the feature.

In its memo to employees, Apple said it is committed to improving the Apple Watch experience for users in wheelchairs, which is why retail employees in wheelchairs are being invited to test watchOS 3. While retail employees have been invited to test iOS and macOS betas in the past, watchOS 3 betas are restricted to developers and internal corporate testers because downgrading from a watchOS beta is not possible without a proprietary adapter.

It is not clear if employees testing the feature are receiving the same watchOS 3 beta updates as developers, but it seems likely. With the retail beta test and developer testing, Apple is hoping to collect more data on movement and better optimize the new wheelchair exercises available in the workout app.

Apple offers some of the best accessibility features available in smartphones, smart watches, and other devices, and along with wheelchair activity tracking, the company’s latest operating system updates bring a range of accessibility improvements to iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

Jay Blahnik Discusses Apple’s Delve Into Mindfulness With ‘Breathe’

One of Apple’s newest apps revealed at WWDC this month was a meditation-enabling Apple Watch app called Breathe that will encourage users to take a break every day to focus on the rhythm of their breathing patterns. In a recent interview with BuzzFeed, Apple’s director of fitness for health technologies, Jay Blahnik, discussed the benefits of “mindfulness” apps like Breathe, and the research done by Apple to find the timing sweet spot that a user should spend on meditation each day.

Structured like the stand goals, and upcoming roll goals, on Apple Watch, Breathe will tap users using haptic feedback with a notification to step back from what they’re doing and take a few deep breaths. Blahnik said that both beginner and experienced meditators will benefit from the app’s coaching, thanks to the ease with which the Apple Watch integrates into a daily schedule.

“Just doing some deep breathing can have some great benefits for a lot of people,” whether they’re taking a break from a busy work day or winding down for the day, Jay Blahnik, Apple’s director of fitness for health technologies, told BuzzFeed News. And with an app like Breathe, “it wouldn’t be hard for them to do it, regardless if they were a beginner or were very experienced with having more mindfulness in their day.”

Meditation has become a popular outlet for many people within Silicon Valley, with companies like Google even offering internal courses, like “Search Inside Yourself,” to teach workers how to handle stressful emotions, hopefully resulting in more efficient workflow. Apple’s new app is poised to provide a simpler version of these mindfulness-focused trends for any Apple Watch wearer.

Like most Apple products and services, Breathe went through a period of thorough testing before it was revealed at WWDC. Blahnik confirmed that the company tested the app with “hundreds” of employees, along with a council of psychology and mindfulness experts, before nailing down what will be arriving in watchOS 3 this fall.

The app can be set for sessions of 1 to 5 minutes, with the company’s tests revealing that 7 breaths in the fastest session of 1 minute hit the sweet spot of “the most comfortable rate for most people.” This rate can be raised up to 10 breaths or lowered down to 4 breaths for more customizability.

The easy-to-access, low-commitment nature of the feature also turned out to be key. At work, especially, Blahnik said, the prospect of taking “a minute between meetings, to push away from their desks, quiet their mind, relax their bodies, [and] just take deep breaths, seemed to be appealing to a lot of people.”

However, according to a few studies of similar apps that promote tranquility through breathing prompts, there is “little evidence” on the efficacy and reliability of these apps at developing a habit of mindfulness. Because of the potential for Breathe to fail at its goal for some people, psychiatrist Dr. John Torous believes that Apple’s biggest hurdle might be those individuals who become frustrated with the app and think they’re “not going to benefit from behavioral treatment,” and give up on finding other solutions beyond Breathe that might be more effective for them.

You can read the rest of BuzzFeed’s report on Breathe, and its potential for impact in the mindfulness app market, right here.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Watch May Switch to Micro-LED Display in Mid 2017 or Later

Apple may switch to micro-LED displays for the Apple Watch in the second half of 2017 at the earliest, moving away from the current OLED technology used, according to supply chain sources for Taiwanese website DigiTimes.

The timeline suggests that the much-rumored Apple Watch 2 lineup expected to debut in the second half of 2016 will continue to have OLED displays, with the move towards micro-LED panels liking occurring in tandem with the tentatively named Apple Watch 3.

Micro-LED displays can be thinner and lighter and allow for improved color gamut, increased brightness, and higher resolutions. The panels do not require backlighting like traditional LCD displays, but they can be difficult and expensive to mass produce. Micro LEDs range in size from 1-micron to 100-micron.

Earlier this year, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said the Apple Watch 2 will mainly feature internal improvements, with more significant form factor design changes not occurring until 2017. By then, the switch to micro-LED panels and other technological advances could allow for a thinner Apple Watch.

Apple acquired micro-LED display maker LuxVue Technology in 2014, and one of the company’s investors at the time said it had “a technical breakthrough in displays.” LuxVue holds multiple micro-LED-related patents and, in 2013, it raised $25.2 million in funding to pursue the technology.

Apple also opened a facility in northern Taiwan last year, where it is believed to be focusing on micro-LED technology.

The current Apple Watch is the only Apple product with an OLED display due to its small size. The company continues to use LCD technology based on a TFT manufacturing process for iPhones, but widespread rumors suggest Apple will release its first OLED-based iPhone as early as September 2017.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Tags: digitimes.com, OLED, Micro-LED
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

watchOS 3: Bringing Attention Back to Apple’s New ‘Breathe’ App

During the watchOS 3 segment of Apple’s keynote presentation at the Worldwide Developer’s Conference last week, Apple introduced a new mindfulness-based app called Breathe.

The idea behind Breathe is to help Apple Watch owners better manage everyday stress, and works by prompting users to take a short time out to focus their attention on the simple act of breathing.

By default, Breathe serves up a one-minute session which guides the user through seven breaths. The duration can be extended to up to five minutes by rotating the Digital Crown, while breathing can be slowed to four breaths per minute, or increased to ten per minute.

As the session begins, the app asks the user to “Be still, and bring your attention to your breath”. A mandala-like series of concentric circles then begin to expand and contract on the watch screen as a visual guide for the user to adjust the rate of their breath.

What’s not obvious from demos is that the app also makes use of the Apple Watch’s haptic feedback, by initiating a delicate tapping rhythm on the wrist that begins fast and gradually fades at the top of each breath, as a subtle cue to exhale.

The use of haptic feedback also means the user can close their eyes as the session takes place, while the intensity of the feedback can be adjusted in the app settings.

When the session comes to an end, the user’s recorded heart-rate during the session is shown, as is the total number of minutes that have been spent using the app that day. An option to retake the session and “Breathe again” also appears on screen.

The default setting for the app is to prompt a session every four hours, but prompts can be snoozed and their frequency can also be changed in the app’s settings.

Additionally, a Breathe complication can be added to watch faces, allowing users to start a session with a simple tap whenever they choose.

During the Keynote, Apple did not cite any scientific evidence to back up its claims that bringing attention to the breath can help decrease stress and alleviate anxiety. However, research does exist to support the claim.

Breath-based meditation has been shown to reduce activity in the brain’s “default mode network” (DMN), an area implicated in mind-wandering and the sense of self. Increased activity in this “resting state” network is known to be associated with conditions such as depression and anxiety.

Recent neuroimaging studies have also shown that daily meditation alters the functional and structural plasticity of the brain, and can increase cortical thickness in specific brain regions associated with attention-based tasks.

The Breathe app is part of watchOS 3, which will be released as a free upgrade this fall.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Tag: Breathe
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

Hardware-Free WWDC Sets Stage for Busy Second Half of 2016

In the weeks leading up to WWDC 2016, multiple reliable sources indicated the opening keynote would be a no-hardware affair. And as it turned out, the focus of the event was unsurprisingly on software, including iOS 10, macOS Sierra, tvOS 10, and watchOS 3. So, when can we expect new Apple hardware?

Many products were at some point rumored to have a possible connection with WWDC 2016, including the next-generation Apple Watch, MacBook Pro, and Thunderbolt Display. Those that have been following rumors consistently, however, will know that the most of the products are actually expected in the second half of 2016.

The following roundup serves as a refresher of rumors we have heard up until this point.

Macs

Apple last updated the 13-inch MacBook Pro in March 2015, followed by the 15-inch model in May 2015, with Force Touch trackpads, faster flash storage, longer battery life, and improved graphics. As our Mac Buyer’s Guide indicates, that was around 400 days ago, leading many to believe that a refresh is overdue.

Prospective buyers were hopeful that Apple would surprise with a new MacBook Pro at WWDC 2016, despite the keynote being billed as a no-hardware affair, but the comapny delivered upon expectations and focused on software announcements only. So, when will the 2016 MacBook Pro be released?

Most rumors point towards a launch in the second half of 2016. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said Apple will launch three new MacBook models by year’s end: a thin and light 13-inch MacBook in the June-September quarter, and two thinner and lighter 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro models in the September-December quarter.

Kuo said the 2016 MacBook Pro will feature a thinner and lighter form factor, Touch ID, and a new OLED touch bar positioned above the keyboard. Leaked photos of what appears to be the notebook’s unibody revealed space for the OLED touch panel and four USB-C ports. The new MacBook Pro is also expected to adopt metal injection mold-made hinges, which are reportedly already shipping.

The new MacBook Pro lineup is also expected to feature faster Intel Skylake processors, USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3, and possibly AMD’s new 400-series Polaris graphics chips for the top-of-the-line model.

Concept: MacBook Pro with touch panel by visual designer Martin Hajek
Japanese website Mac Otakara recently threw a curveball into the rumors, however, as it reported that Apple will announce new MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models at some point this month. It said the new MacBook Air will arrive at retailers in August, but did not specify a release date for the new MacBook Pro.

At least two other supply chain reports have claimed that new 13-inch and 15-inch Mac notebooks of some kind will be unveiled around June, or shortly after, but it is difficult to tell if the websites are referring to the MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro. Moreover, a thinner MacBook Pro could be confused with either the MacBook or MacBook Air lineups in the manufacturing stage.

The opportunity to announce new MacBooks at WWDC 2016 has also passed, further adding to the confusion. Apple could still make a non-WWDC announcement in June by way of press release, as was the case with the new 12-inch MacBook in April, but that would historically indicate only minor updates. The 2016 MacBook Pro, by contrast, is expected to be the biggest update to Apple’s pro-level notebook since thinner Retina display models launched in 2012.

A recent report said Apple is planning changes of some kind to its MacBook lineup that could debut “over the coming weeks,” but it is unclear if the plans involve new hardware, a spec bump, or simply price adjustments.

The fact that multiple launch dates have been rumored could imply that Apple is planning a staggered launch of its 2016 Macs. The 13-inch MacBook Pro could debut first, given that metal injection mold-made hinges are allegedly shipping for that model, followed by the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple’s desktop Macs are also candidates for updates in the second half of 2016. The Mac mini, which has not been updated since October 2014, typically uses the same CPUs as the 13-inch MacBook Pro, so Apple could feasibly release a Skylake-based model that includes USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3.

Meanwhile, the Mac Pro is long overdue for an update, having been last refreshed with its current trash can design in December 2013. Possible updates could include Intel Skylake processors, AMD Polaris graphics, and USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 3. Similar updates could also come to the iMac lineup, but Apple may wait until Intel Kaby Lake processors launch in late 2016.

iPhone and Apple Watch

The original Apple Watch launched in the U.S. and other first wave launch countries on April 24, 2015, or nearly fourteen months ago.

Given that the iPhone is typically refreshed each September, or every twelve months, some expected that the Apple Watch would have been updated by WWDC 2016 at the latest.

At least some of that hope was driven by infamous Apple analyst Brian White, who made the rather outlandish prediction that a 20% to 40% thinner Apple Watch 2 could debut at WWDC 2016. That obviously did not happen, which is unsurprising given that multiple reliable sources have pointed towards a launch in the second half of 2016.

More reliable KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo issued a research note in April that said the Apple Watch 2 will enter mass production in the third quarter of 2016, in line with a fall launch alongside the iPhone 7. He said the Apple Watch 2 will mainly feature spec improvements, akin to an “S” model iPhone, with larger changes to the form factor design not occurring until 2017.

That launch timeframe was recently corroborated by a supply chain report that said the Apple Watch 2 will debut later in 2016, with Apple already increasing chip and component orders for the device. Last year, Cowen and Company analyst Timothy Arcuri also said a thinner Apple Watch 2 will launch in mid- to late-2016.

The new Apple Watch could feature a FaceTime video camera, expanded Wi-Fi capabilities, and cellular connectivity, while new models and bands are always a possibility. The device will reportedly be assembled by Quanta Computer, and possibly either Inventec, Wistron, or Foxconn. Internal components will allegedly be sourced from TSMC, Samsung, and others.

Apple has been pushing iPhone and Apple Watch sales together, so updated models of each device launching in tandem would be appropriate. Last October, Apple even offered a rare in-store promotion that offered customers $50 off select Apple Watch models with the purchase of any new iPhone. The promotion was oddly limited to select Apple retail stores in California and Massachusetts.

Apple is widely expected to announce the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus in September. The smartphones are expected to retain an iPhone 6s-like design, sans a 3.5mm headphone jack. This year’s new features could include a faster Apple A10 processor, waterproofing, repositioned antenna bands, and faster LTE and Wi-Fi. A dual-lens camera and 3GB of RAM may also be exclusive to the iPhone 7 Plus.

The addition of a Smart Connector, stereo speakers, a touch-sensitive Home button, and a new Deep Blue color option have also been rumored, but it is not entirely clear which features are destined for the iPhone 7 series, no longer planned, or reserved for the alleged OLED-based iPhone with glass casing in 2017.

In terms of the Apple Watch, it is worth considering that it has still been available for less than one year in all but nine countries, with the staggered rollout concluding in February 2016. That is typical, but the Apple Watch took much longer to expand worldwide compared to recent iPhones. For that reason, and to avoid upgrade exhaustion, Apple may be opting for an elongated product cycle.

Apple Watch Release Dates

• April 24: Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, U.K., U.S.
• June 26: Italy, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, and Taiwan
• July 17: The Netherlands, Sweden, and Thailand
• July 31: New Zealand, Russia, and Turkey
• September 25: Austria, Denmark, and Ireland
• October 9: Belgium, Finland, Norway, Luxembourg, and Poland
• October 16: Brazil and Colombia
• October 22: Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates
• October 23: Chile, Philippines, and South Africa
• November 6: India
• January 5: Malaysia
• January 29: Czech Republic, Hungary, and Portugal
• February 11: Bahrain, Israel, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar
• February 12: Greece

iPads

Apple released a 9.7-inch iPad Pro in March 2016 as the successor to the iPad Air 2, while the 12.9-inch model likely remains in the middle of its product cycle, so updates to either tablet are unlikely in the foreseeable future.

The wild card is the iPad mini, which was last updated in September 2015 with an iPad Air 2-style redesign and could be updated again in the fall, if not discontinued entirely. Apple sometimes debuts new iPads in October.

Thunderbolt Display

Thunderbolt Display rumors regained momentum when in-store availability of the display became depleted at several Apple Stores in the U.S., U.K., and Canada just over two weeks ago. The in-store stock shortage naturally stirred speculation that Apple could possibly announce an updated Thunderbolt Display at WWDC 2016, but no product refresh was announced on stage.

Nevertheless, the Thunderbolt Display is overdue for an update. The standalone display has not been updated since it began shipping in September 2011, even though Apple could have released a new model with USB 3.0, Thunderbolt 2, and a tapered iMac-style design as early as 2013. Nowadays, the 27″ Retina 5K iMac could be the basis for a corresponding 5K Thunderbolt Display.

A 5K Thunderbolt Display could feature a high resolution of 5,120×2,880 pixels, USB-C ports for connecting Thunderbolt 3 peripherals, and possibly an ultra-thin design resembling the latest iMacs. Apple could also release a 4K Thunderbolt Display, but supply chain considerations make that less likely.

Just hours before the WWDC 2016 keynote, Apple removed Personal Pickup, a web-based tool for checking in-store availability of Apple products, from the Thunderbolt Display product page in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Singapore, and other countries. The tool still remains unavailable, but there is currently no other evidence to suggest a Thunderbolt Display refresh is incoming.

Other Products

There is also an outside chance of a next-generation Apple TV with a faster CPU and heat-dissipation solution. The updated model could be positioned as an Amazon Echo and Google Home competitor with upgraded Siri capabilities.

AirPort Extremes and AirPort Time Capsules were also recently out of stock at Apple retail stores in the U.S., with Personal Pickup temporarily removed, prompting speculation that new models could be incoming. Availability has since returned to normal, but the Wi-Fi base stations have not been updated since 2012-13.

Related Roundups: Thunderbolt Display, MacBook Pro, Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3, WWDC 2016
Buyer’s Guide: Displays (Don’t Buy), Retina MacBook Pro (Don’t Buy), Apple Watch (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

Accessibility at WWDC: Dwell Control, Taptic Time, Software TTY, and More

Apple on Tuesday hosted a WWDC 2016 session called What’s New in Accessibility that provided an overview of new assisitive technologies and features added to iOS 10, macOS Sierra, tvOS 10, and watchOS 3.

Physical and Motor Skills

Switch Control can now be used to interact with the tvOS interface using a single physical button, such as a switch on a wheelchair. There is both a cursor interface that highlights elements on the screen and an alternative interface with an on-screen remote. Accessibility users that already use Switch Control with an iOS device or Mac can automatically use the function on tvOS without re-pairing a switch.

Dwell Control is a new feature for macOS Sierra that enables users to control the cursor on Mac using assistive technologies and hardware like a headband with reflective dots or eye movements. When the cursor dwells on a certain location, a timer appears that expires and invokes a mouse click or other customizable actions.

Vision

Apple has made display and color adjustments and introduced the option to tint the entire display on Mac, Apple TV, and iOS devices, which can significantly increase contrast and reading ability.

Taptic Time is a new VoiceOver feature on watchOS 3 that uses a series of distinct taps from the Taptic Engine to help someone tell time silently and discreetly.

Magnifier is a new systemwide iOS 10 feature that enables users to use the camera to magnify objects in their physical environment. Various color filters, such as grayscale and inverted grayscale, are supported to increase contrast.

Hearing

iOS 10 allows for Software TTY calls to be placed without any additional hardware. The calls work with legacy TTY technology and make it easy to dial a non-TTY number through your carrier’s relay service. There are also built-in TTY-specific QuickType keyboard predictions.

Learning

iOS 10 has a number of enhancements designed to help people with dyslexia. There are improvements to Speak Selection and Speak Screen to help people better understand text that has already been entered, and there is new audio feedback for typing to help people immediately catch mistakes.

Learn more by watching the What’s New in Accessibility video or reading the slideshow.

Related Roundups: Apple TV, tvOS 10, Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3, WWDC 2016, iOS 10, macOS Sierra
Tag: accessibility
Buyer’s Guide: Apple TV (Neutral), Apple Watch (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Steps up Procurement for New Apple Watch, Targets Late 2016 Debut

Apple has stepped up procurement of chips and components for the second-generation Apple Watch, according to sources from the supply chain (via DigiTimes).

Shipments of chips and components for the second-gen Apple Watch are reportedly set to begin in the third quarter, indicating a launch later this year.

Orders for the upcoming Apple Watch have been higher-than-expected, according to the sources, after what they called “disappointing sales” of the first-gen smartwatch. Despite that, Apple’s pull-in of orders is said to be “rather aggressive”, and the sources estimated that about two million units of the new Apple Watch could be shipped monthly.

Taiwan-based website DigiTimes has a mixed track record at reporting on Apple’s upcoming product plans, but its sources within the upstream supply chain have proven reliable in the past.

Rumors had initially suggested Apple would introduce the second-generation Apple Watch in March 2016 with shipments of the device set to begin in April 2016, but a conflicting report confirmed the Apple Watch 2 would not be ready for a spring launch.

A rumor out of the Asian supply chain in January suggested work on the next-generation Apple Watch was already underway, with Quanta working with Apple on the development of the device. Trial production on Apple Watch 2 was rumored to have started in January, with full production beginning in mid-2016 in preparation for a fall launch alongside the iPhone 7.

Apple is said to be working on implementing cellular network connectivity and a faster processor. Built-in cellular capabilities would allow the Apple Watch to place calls, send messages, and access data without the need for an iPhone, while a faster processor would result in speed improvements when accessing apps.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2, watchOS 3
Tag: Apple Watch 2
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
Discuss this article in our forums