Apple (News - Alert) fans, break out those calendars. This upcoming March, Apple will unveil the next generation of its flagship wearable, the Apple Watch. Of course, this comes through the usual unofficial rumor mill; 9to5Mac, which broke the story, cited an unnamed source. So maybe mark those calendars lightly, in pencil.
That unnamed source claims that Apple’s next big reveal will come in spring, 2016. The timing makes sense. The Apple Watch was first released exactly one year prior to March 2016, which would bookend a wildly successful year for wearable tech.
The Apple fanbase is going a bit wild with speculation over the next generation of the watch. The more exciting theories predict a FaceTime camera and iPhone (News - Alert)-independent Wi-Fi. Those features could begin to wean the Apple Watch from its big brother, the iPhone. Until now, the Watch has been a complement to the phone, relying on the iPhone’s WiFi (News - Alert) and Apple profile. If Apple can make its watch a more independent device, it may appeal to a broader audience.
In addition to the next Apple Watch, Apple is expected to release the iPhone 6c. The 6c would be a smaller, 4-inch version of the iPhone 6. That shrinking screen returns the iPhone to the size of the iPhone 5. The move, if the rumors are true, is likely in response to some customers’ complaints that the 5.5-inch 6s display is too large to use with a single hand.
The iPhone 6c would likely cost less than the standard 6 model. That lower price point would bring a wave of upgraders to the forefront of Apple technology.
While the iPhone 6c and the 2nd generation watch are the only rumored updates, don’t count out a big surprise. The company is notoriously tight-lipped, and last year premiered both a 12 inch MacBook and the Apple Watch in March.
None of these developments are set in stone. Most of the information comes from unnamed sources, which are always suspect. Some of the speculation comes from Apple’s cached patents, but that’s an equally dubious source. The company frequently innovates and secures the rights to tech it never plans on using, simply to undercut competition.
Edited by Maurice Nagle
Wearable Tech World Home