Recent rumors involving the Apple Watch suggest that users will no longer new to buy a completely new watch. Instead, they can acquire the new upgrades sold by Apple, in the form of ‘smart bands’ which will most likely release as early as 2016.
Apple Insider states that according to their unnamed sources, there was a report from Czech website Letem Svetem Applem on Friday which suggests the Cupertino tech giant is planning to announce the new bands. These bands will connect to the hidden data on the Apple Watch and furthermore, it comes with new functionality as well.
According to the rumors, these bands will add respiratory rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen and blood temperature sensors. It was further revealed that these sensors will be included in the band and in order to measure and provide accurate readings, they cannot be a part of the watch.
For instance, if the body temperature sensor is located inside the watch, it will be affected by heat from the watch components and therefore, needs to be placed on the opposite end of the wrist. Sources indicate that Apple will launch the first sensor bands for the Apple Watch in early 2016. Apple is reportedly working on several smart bands which will be made available in a variety of configurations and designs.
Apple is probably aware of the fact that most users might not prefer upgrading their watch every year. With Apple’s new initiative for smart watches, the company wishes to continue hardware sales for legacy watches. The present Apple Watch models have a hidden data port that is located in one of the strap attachment grooves.
This six-pin connector is able to transfer power and data to the device. For now, it is covered and not at all intended for use by customers. The diagnostic port is covered so the big question remains as to how Apple wishes to access the port in order to work with smart bands.
If the present rumors are accurate, users will need to visit the Apple Store in order to install the smart band onto their Apple Watch. We witnessed the introduction of the Apple Watch last year in September but it was officially launched in April this year.
If Apple continues to stick to this annual release trend, the next Apple Watch announcement won’t be coming until next spring. Meanwhile, the company is said to be working on the watchOS 2. It will come in the form of a software update that enables third-party applications on the Apple Watch. The developers already have it in a beta form and the update is currently scheduled to release this fall.
At the same time, previously released rumors suggested that Apple will introduce different kinds of casing materials for the current Watch design. KGI Securities Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo declared in March that Apple was planning to launch the new case designs by this fall.
This will add to the already present lineup of stainless steel, aluminum and 18K gold. Apple could also introduce further materials like ceramic, titanium and gold. Even rarer materials in the present watch industry include custom products from fine watchmakers like Hublot’s “Magic Gold and “Rolex’s “Rolesor”.
Till now, fitness enthusiasts have provided mixed reviews for the Apple Watch and it was probably due to the absence of essential features like GPS. However, a lot of people still purchased the Apple Watch and the company remains quite secretive about the sales figures. In order to get the most effective results from your Apple Watch, you need to train it in order to understand you and the way you work.