The so-called Apple Watch Series 4 should be revealed this Fall. If the rumor mill is correct, this model will be the first since the wearable device was first announced in 2014 to feature a refreshed design. While changes to technology are expected, and in most cases warranted, let’s hope Apple’s next wearable device isn’t that much different than the ones on the market now.
What’s probably coming this Fall
According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the 2018 Apple Watch will feature a new design and a screen 15% larger than the current model. The new wearable device is also likely to offer improvements such as improved battery life and “enhanced” health monitoring.
Bring on the larger screen size, Apple! And those fancy new health monitoring tools, which might include a built-in EKG heart monitor and bands with blood glucose monitors? Yeah, bring them along for the ride too. However, I’m hoping a round Apple Watch isn’t in our future.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely despised the Apple Watch’s rectangular display when it first launched. However, one of these things on my arms for three years, the look has grown on me, and I can’t imagine the Apple Watch looking any other way.
With that being said, I would welcome an Apple Watch with a more prominent and skinnier body.
I also hope Apple doesn’t mess with the specifications for the Apple Watch bands. These accessories, at least those from Apple, are expensive and it would be a shame if we had to replace them suddenly to fit a new watch. Instead, Apple should keep its bands compatible with every Apple Watch version and continue to innovate in other ways. This should include new band designs and colors, plus the debut of so-called smart bands.
Long-rumored, these smart bands could include the already mentioned blood glucose monitor, or something else like a blood pressure measuring tool.
The future of watchOS
Beyond this, my hopes for the Apple Watch Series 4 are software-based. Let’s hope watchOS 5 comes with native podcast streaming and a smarter Siri. Adding support for third-party watch faces would also be nice, although I’m still not convinced this is the road Apple’s taking. As an alternative, it would be nice for Apple to release more than two new faces in a calendar year.
The addition of a Notes app to watchOS would also be nice.
Apple Watch Series 4 timeline
Apple’s likely to announce changes in Apple Watch in two phases this year, according to the following schedule:
Monday, June 4 is the first day of the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) for 2018. On this day, Apple should announce new versions of iOS, watchOS, macOS, and tvOS.
Sometime in early September is when Apple is likely to announce its 2018 iPhone and Apple Watch lineup.
What changes do you hope to see on the next Apple Watch? Let us know your thoughts below.