News about a trial production of the Apple Watch 2 beginning later this month has been circulating on the Internet, and Apple supplier Quanta will reportedly go ahead and get things into gear.
Usually, this is carried out to test the waters and clean up any potential issue before a finalized product rolls out, which eventually leads to mass production. Of course, that means that it's a small-scale venture. To put two and two together, a consumer-ready version will hit the shelves a few months after – that is, if all goes well.
According to the Commercial Times of Taiwan (translated), Apple could lean on other partners – Inventec, Wistron and Foxconn – when the manufacturing of the wearable tech officially starts. Quanta was the sole maker of the first-generation Apple Watch, so if the report holds true, it means that the Cupertino brand has an enormous vision in mind for the Apple Watch 2.
With that said, what exactly will the wearable tech bring to the table? Well, only Apple knows, but there have been plenty of talk about the possible features that the company will cram into the device.
Rumored Features
Samsung OLED Display
Despite their long and winding rivalry in court, Samsung and Apple are actually business partners, with Samsung supplying various components for Apple's products. ET News of South Korea says (translated) both companies could once again renew their relationship with the production of the Apple Watch 2.
Before this news turned up, it was believed that LG was going to be the single supplier of OLED components. Regardless of the source, it would be nice to see an OLED display on the Apple Watch 2.
Bigger Battery
Long battery life is practically a must-have for any device, particularly for watches whose original purpose is to keep time. However, fitting a powerful battery pack into a tiny feature-packed device proves to be a challenge, but Apple purportedly rose to the occasion.
It's believed that the Apple Watch 2 will come with a more robust battery (translated) while maintaining a similar size to its predecessor.
Better Outdoor Visibility
Most Apple Watches are equipped with sapphire glass, and the material is a lot sturdier compared with the Ion-X glass on the Apple Watch Sport. The only problem is that it has terrible visibility outdoors.
"The 74 percent higher Reflectance of the Apple Watch with Sapphire means that its screen will reflect almost twice as much surrounding ambient light as the Apple Watch Sport with Glass. And it takes surprisingly little ambient light for that to make a significant visible difference," Raymond Soneira, president of Display Mate Technologies, says.
The Apple Watch 2 could have better outdoor visibility, according to the same source that claims the device will have an improved battery.
More Sensors
The Apple Watch 2 could come with more sensors for health and sleep tracking, but if it doesn't, it could instead have better sensors. Apparently, hair and tattoos mess up the readings, so Apple might want to address reliability before functionality.
Independent Functions
It'll be a treat to see more wearable devices that support text messaging and email even without a paired smartphone, as it'll take convenience to a whole new level. Before getting overexcited over this, take note that this rumor should be taken with a grain of salt.
Camera
Some say that the Apple Watch 2 will have a built-in camera for FaceTime chats. Not sure why or how it'll be useful, but based on what some people are saying, there's a slim chance for it to materialize. There's no solid source for this claim, though, so it might just be one of those out-of-this-world rumors to cause a stir in the community.
Release Date
Back in November, Quanta Chairman Barry Lam mentioned that a full-fledged product will be launched sometime in the second quarter of 2016, which indicates a release date between April and June.
"Quanta and Apple [are] currently developing the second generation of the full Apple Watch, expected late next year in the second quarter," he said (translated).
To add fuel to the fire, there are rumors that have been going around about an Apple press event in March 2016, where the company is expected to unveil the Apple Watch 2 along with the 4-inch iPhone 6c.
With a little grounded guesswork, April 2016 is the likeliest month when the highly anticipated wearable tech will finally see the light of day. The first Apple Watch premiered in April 2015.
Pricing
As for the price, it'll depend on what materials the Apple Watch 2 is going to be made of, so it's a bit difficult to make an assumption at this point. It could stay within the same range of the first Apple Watch, though – from $350 for the entry-level models to a whopping $17,000 for the 18-karat Gold Apple Watch Edition.
