As the summer heats up and the heat increases, so do the speculations about forthcoming Apple products. It’s Apple Watch that has gotten the spotlight, and there’s been word that the new version of the watch might have wireless connectivity.
It’s been portrayed as a deficiency in technology by competitors who have LTE support on their smartwatches. However, there’s been no unambiguous desire among the users of Apple Watch. Does this represent a natural progression of the product or just seeking out more features to boost sales?
The case for cell phones
The advantages of connectivity via cellular with the Apple Watch are pretty clear-cut. Instead of carrying each of your Watch as well as your iPhone around it is possible to go out on the town with only the Apple Watch. There’s already a feature that can be used without your phone being on-hand, like Apple Pay, for instance and fitness tracking, but this extends the list more.
It’s particularly beneficial to those who exercise: they are able to, for instance stream music using Apple Music or another service instead of sync music to the Watch’s internal storage. Additionally, they can receive notifications while working out, which could include, for instance emails and iMessages, but whether or not that’s beneficial or distraction could vary from person to person.
According to recent reports, the Watch will not be capable of calling by itself, although VoIP applications could be an option. I’d imagine the possibility of FaceTime Audio calls would be completely safe, and might cover the majority of the scenarios; add Skype to the mix, and you’ll be as efficient as having a regular phone.
From a strictly sales standpoint It’s also possible that some customers held from purchasing the Apple Watch until it does have cellular connectivity, and the inclusion of that important element could increase sales. (Presumably that was the same goal in the addition of GPS on the Apple Watch in Series 2 but it’s not known whether or not it actually increased sales for this Watch.)
The case against cell phones
But here’s the main issue for me is: does this Apple Watch as it is now really need wireless connectivity? If you ask the majority of people who own an Apple Watch what they really make use of it and I’m pretty sure they’ll have answers that are less than the complete potential offered by the Watch. The majority of this has something to do absence of connectivity to cellular networks on the Apple Watch. I’m not sure that many Apple Watch customers are irritated at the fact that they don’t receive their notifications when their mobile isn’t near, as most of the time , their smartphone is close by.
This is before we factor the actual engineering problems. Cellular radios can be a significant consumption of battery power. Although I’m certain Apple will endeavor to make it the most efficient possible however, the Watch’s lifespan is likely to be affected. The addition of a second device to the Watch is likely to make it at a minimum larger, but it’s not possible to say no to Apple trying to incorporate it into the current design.
The most important concern for me is: does this Apple Watch as it is at present really need mobile connectivity?
Then there’s the question of financials. While I would expect a device with cellular capabilities to cost more than current models, but no cell provider is likely to offer data at no cost therefore there will likely be additional costs for monthly data also. A lot of providers allow you to add tablets to your plans at a cost of $10 per month. I don’t think it’s going to be lower than a $5 monthly cost on Apple Watch. Apple Watch.
It’s not as if the price is astronomical when compared to the amount that tech users are used to paying however there is a significant doubt about whether these tradeoffs are worth the tiny advantage of bringing wireless connection for your Apple Watch.
More models
My gut says that should there is a news announcement for the Apple Watch Series 3 comes out scheduled to be announced in the year and it follows the model of the iPad and the iPhone: There will be a basic version of the Watch that is Wi-Fi-only, perhaps an updated Version of Series 2, if Apple follows the same pattern, and then wireless connectivity as an accessory. However it is true that it is possible that the Apple Watch has experienced some surprising variations in its line of products in the two and a half years since its introduction which suggests that Apple might alter the formula in the near future.
However, all the speculations on this particular subject have me thinking that maybe they’re drowning out the other potential features for the next model of the Apple Watch. GPS was the main aspect that came with this Series 2 Apple Watch, however, it also had more waterproofing, and a faster processing. It’s likely that if the brand new version that is the Apple Watch includes an important feature like the ability to connect wirelessly, Apple may have more exciting features for the Watch in its sleeves. In a way.