Every year we all seem to expect so much more from Apple’s upcoming releases. This is certainly encouraged by regular leaks from Apple’s Chinese partners which seem to suggest wildly ambitious features… which often leave us disappointed by the final feature list. If previous years are anything to go by then we’re still a few months away from any Apple Watch announcements but we’re already seeing a lot of exciting rumours.
The recent leaks about the latest and greatest Apple Watch have led to some rumours, which – if true – suggest that they may be producing the most ambitious smartwatch of all time! So lets take a look at some of the most likely features to end up in the next smartwatch and see if that truly is the case!
When Will We See It and How Much Will it Cost?
It is currently predicted that the announcement of the upcoming Apple Watch is planned for the second or third week of September 2019. Previous Apple Watch releases have been available for consumers around 10 days after any Apple Watch announcement. This suggests a release date of around the 21st of September to the 1st of October. Although Apple releases have occasionally been released very soon after the official announcement.
It is not expected that any significant increase will be made to the price of the newest Apple Watch. It is more likely that the price of the new watch will be available at the current price of the Series 4 device, which will remain available at a lower price. This suggests a price of £399 – £429 for the GPS only version and £499 – £529 for the LTE & GPS version.
What Do We Expect to See?
It is very unlikely that we will see one specific game-changing feature like we did with the ECG monitor last year. But it is expected that there will be exciting upgrades to the current features which will offer a huge boost to the performance of the device. It is the vast array of improvements to all areas of the device which could make it the most ambitious smartwatch yet. Much of this information has been released by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. He is one of the most respected Apple experts out there and seems to accurately predict Apple’s product launches every single year.
Apple Watch users will have already noticed that the ECG monitoring features have only recently become available in the UK. We expect that the ECG functionality will become available in all territories along with the release of the Apple Watch Series 5. This is likely to be done through software patches allowing Apple Watch 4 users to use the features. It is possible that there will be improvements to the way this information is monitored and analysed within the device, making it an even more useful feature.
Apple are reported to be working on a built-in sleep tracking feature, which will be a welcome addition for those who don’t trust third party apps. It is hoped that this feature will be available by the release of the Apple Watch 5, although it may not be ready until the Series 6 is released. It is thought that the Apple software will not need to upgrade the hardware and will take the more ambitious route of using software which makes use of the existing hardware. It is expected that Apple’s in depth knowledge of their hardware could lead to them producing one of the most accurate sleep tracking apps on the market.
One of their most ambitious smartwatch features is an interesting sensor which is able to monitor different chemicals in the air. This could be used to track body odour and sense air quality when you are working out. This feature could certainly link in with their current fitness features which are very popular with Apple Watch users.
However the most exciting anticipated feature is a new “two-way wireless charging” feature which will allow you to charge your Apple Watch using your iPhone 11. This may be able to resolve one of the most common complaints with the Apple Watch – poor battery life! While the battery capacity has increased year on year, so have the technology upgrades and the battery life has remained fairly poor. I can imagine that this new feature will make using the Apple Watch in day to day life much less frustrating!
Could This Be the Most Ambitious Smartwatch Yet?
Every single year Apple look to push the boundaries with their latest technology. It is hard to say that anything could be more ambitious than the addition of an ECG monitor. But if these latest rumours are correct, this watch may just be the most ambitious smartwatch we have seen. It would be incredible if Apple was able to improve all of their current hardware while adding never seen before features and revolutionary charging options.
Of course, we still have a few months to go until the announcement and release of this new device. Some features may not make the final device and they may have prevented some potentially exciting features from being leaked. It’s going to be exciting see just what Apple do announce and find out just how ambitious it ends up being!
Images: Ben Miller,
