New Apple Watch to Launch in Fall 2017 With Improved Battery Life But No Major Design Changes

Apple's third-generation Apple Watch is expected to be unveiled in the third quarter of 2017 and will focus on improving battery life and overall performance, according to a new report out of China.

On Tuesday, the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) claimed the next iteration of the wearable device will be manufactured by Taiwan-based Quanta, which was also responsible for the production of Apple's first and second-generation smartwatch.

Citing market watchers with knowledge of Quanta's plans, the paper said improving battery life is the manufacturer's "main task", but beside general performance improvements, the device's other hardware would not see much change. Quanta declined to comment on the report, calling it "market speculation".

The claims represent the first tentative indication of Apple's launch timeline for its third-generation Apple Watch, pointing to a possible fall unveiling of the new wearable alongside this year's iPhone 8.

The report also narrows down Apple's rumored ambitions for the third-generation device, with previous reports suggesting it could introduce the first significant design changes for the timepiece, such as more advanced sensors that Apple was not able to include in the first and second-generation models.

Other previous rumors have claimed Apple plans to add cellular connectivity to the next Apple Watch, after battery life concerns prevented the feature from being included in the Series 2 device. Also suggested is a potential switch to micro-LED displays, which are thinner and lighter than current screens and offer improved color gamut and brightness.

Filed patents by Apple show other possibilities for future versions of Apple Watch, including the ability to determine a user's identity through their heart rate and unique cardio rhythms. Future models could also potentially integrate haptic feedback into Apple Watch bands, freeing up internal space for other components and allowing for a thinner body design.




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Any freed up internal space should be used to increase battery size, not used as an excuse to make a smaller case.

 

The new Apple Watch Series 3 will be released later this month, with pre-orders on the 15th of September. Availability on the 22nd. The Apple Store app has the full price breakdown and available options.