Apple Watch 2 Won't Have Cellular Connectivity Since It Would Compromise Battery Life

Apple is expected to announce a new iteration of the Apple Watch this year, alongside the iPhone 7. It was previously believed that the tech giant would be adding independent cellular connectivity to the Apple Watch 2, but now it looks like that isn’t going to happen.

The reason why the Apple Watch 2 isn’t going to get its own cellular connection is because the company had trouble with the wearable’s battery life, according to Bloomberg. Instead of bringing in cellular connectivity, Apple has decided to add improvements to the Watch’s health monitoring and GPS location tracking.

A source indicated that Apple would rather not add cellular connectivity if it would compromise the battery life of the device. The shorter battery life would reportedly reduce the device’s effectiveness and user appeal. This may disappoint a lot of users, but it does make sense that Apple wants to provide a smartwatch that won’t die in the middle of the day. Bloomberg’s report also states that Apple is currently working on lower-power cellular data chips, so it could one day add it to a future version of the Apple Watch.

Apple originally intended to release the cellular-ready Apple Watch 2 this December. The company was even in talks with U.S. and European mobile carriers to bring the device to their networks.

Despite not being able to bring cellular connectivity to the Apple Watch this year, the tech giant still intends to launch a new version of the wearable this 2016. As stated earlier, Apple has shifted its focus on bringing better health tracking and GPS-based location tracking. Apple will be adding a GPS chip to the Apple Watch 2 that would enable it to accurately track running and walking distances.

One of the major improvements with health tracking is that the Apple Watch 2 is designed to have the ability to track the user’s breathing. Activity statistics are also expected to be integrated to the watch face making it easier and faster for users to see their progress. The updated software will also make launching apps faster while the user interface will make it easier for users to access battery and audio controls.

The Apple Watch 2 is expected to look similar to its predecessor. Speaking of its predecessor, the original Watch is reported to get a price cute once the new version is officially announced, according to 9To5Mac.