Apple Watch 2 Rumor Roundup: Final Rumored Specs, Features As Well As Pricing For Apple Watch Successor

Aside from launching the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus today, Apple is also reportedly preparing for the debut of its Apple Watch successor, the Apple Watch 2, which is rumored to come with new features and a new operating system. Ahead of the wearable’s debut, here’s a quick rundown of the rumored specs and features of the high-tech timepiece.

The latest reports about the Apple Watch 2 point to UK repair shop Byte’s videos showing the different components of the upcoming Apple smartwatch and confirming the previous claims and speculations stating that the display panel of the Apple Watch 2 is thinner than that of the Apple Watch and that the former’s battery is thicker than the latter’s. Because of these changes, the layout of the smartwatch’s internals is quite different from its predecessor’s.

The Apple Watch 2 is also rumored to come with a GPS chip, making it a dependable tracker on its own and without the need of pairing it up with an iPhone. In introducing the GPS chip to the device, the Cupertino giant had to scrap the idea of bringing cellular connectivity to the Apple Watch 2. The reason for this, as previously reported, is the drawback in the battery life of the device should cellular connectivity be added on top of the GPS technology.

Per Trusted Reviews, the first-generation Apple Watch offered only 18 hours of battery life on average use and required 2.5 hours to fully charge. If the Apple Watch 2 is indeed arriving with a bigger battery pack, then it is very likely that battery life would significantly improve. On the other hand, charging time could be shorter if not the same, since the Apple Watch 2 is going to launch with a new watchOS.

As previously reported, the Apple Watch 2 is likely to run on watchOS 3, which is said to be seven times faster than watchOS 2. The new smartwatch OS by Apple is also rumored to come with a lot of new features and improvements, such as a new Dock UI, an improved Messages app, a redesigned Control Center and the anticipated Breathe app for stress-relief. If there’s one feature that could make the Apple Watch 2 desirable for Mac users, it is the Auto Unlock feature of the smartwatch that enables users to remotely unlock their Mac devices with the use of the new wearable.

In addition, Fast Company believes that the most desirable change that Apple Watch 2 can offer is its ability to run apps in the background unlike its predecessor. Thanks to watchOS 3, users can switch between apps easily and even let other apps run live in the smartwatch’s interface.

Other features that Apple fans can expect from the Apple Watch 2 as predicted by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo include the faster TSMC-built processor, improved IPX7 waterpoofing and the inclusion of a barometer, as per MacRumors.

When it comes to the pricing for the Apple Watch 2, Newsweek believes that fans can expect the same market values for the Apple Watch 2 models as their first-generation counterparts. Therefore, the price range for the smartwatches would still start at $349 for the Sport edition and end at $17,000 for the most valuable Deluxe edition.