Don't expect a second-generation Apple Watch until mid-2016
If you’re holding off on buying an Apple Watch until the device’s second generation, you could be in for more of a wait than you might think. According to AppleInsider, a recent research memo from Cowen and Company predicts the next Apple Watch to arrive no earlier than the middle of 2016, possibly even later.
The memo is based on a recent tour of Asian suppliers, and also suggests that the next generation smartwatch from Apple will feature a thinner size and better performance. It’s unclear whether these predictions are based on industry research, or if they are purely speculative.
Based on its trip report, Cowen and Company are forecasting sales of 18 million Apple Watch devices by the end of 2015, with another 45 million sales in 2016. Analyst Timiothy Arcuri says that these figures may actually be overly pessimistic, because of the strength of 2015’s data.
We have yet to see very many rumors surrounding the second-generation Watch. One such rumor in July claimed that the new hardware would still have the same basic external design, but that Apple would make more room inside the casing for a larger battery. An earlier speculation in June 2015 suggested that the next Apple Watch might sport a FaceTime video camera integrated into the top bezel of the device.
One of the chief complaints about smartwatches is the limited battery life, and there is significant demand for a wearable device that can sustain a charge usable with full functionality of the device for 24 hours or more. Very few major smartwatches can currently do that, and most that can depend on disposable batteries or e-ink to pull it off.
I love rumors, and I’m surprised we haven’t seen more of them surrounding the next generation of the Apple Watch. Perhaps it’s simply too early for them to surface, although we are already seeing rumors pop up regarding the next generation of the iPhone.
